Low-lying villages and those living in areas declared as hazard-prone in Cebu and Bohol are advised to take precautionary measures as moderate to occasional heavy rains are expected in the next few hours.

The Philippine Atmospheric and Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has lifted the tropical cyclone warning signal number 1 over Bohol, Siquijor, Negros provinces, Cebu and other areas in the Visayas in their 11 a.m. weather bulletin. The tropical depression has weakened into a low pressure area.

While Pagasa said the winds brought by the low pressure area may not be destructive, they warned of the possible effects of rainfall. Moderate to occasional heavy rain is expected in the southern towns of Cebu including Toledo City, Pinamungahan, Aloguinsan, Barili, Dumanjug, Ronda and Alcantara.

Mines and Geosciences Bureau – Central Visayas (MGB-7) Regional Director Loreto B. Alburo urge the local disaster and risk reduction management units to undertake preemptive evacuation efforts in geologically hazardous areas. There are over 502 sitios in Cebu that were rated as “high” and “critical” areas for rain-induced landslide and flooding based on the 1:10,000 geohazard map.

The regional office has furnished the local government units in Central Visayas copies of the geohazard maps and conducted workshops to identify safe relocation sites.