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A waterspout destroyed four houses in a coastal village in Misamis Oriental early Monday morning.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) reported that the waterspout that hit Purok 2, Barangay Tubigan, Initao town, also injured three people.

Sixteen other houses were damaged and 20 families were affected.

The injured were identified as 57-year-old Ricardo Bebangco, his wife Helen, 52, and their 13-year-old son Crilfel. They were treated at the Misamis Oriental Provincial Hospital in Initao, said Fernando Vincent Dy Jr., PDRRMO officer-in-charge.

Pag-asa weather specialist Mario Guya said waterspouts are normally associated with weather disturbances such as the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which is bringing rain to Misamis Oriental.

The waterspout left P315,000 in property damage and P36,500 in crop damage, according to the PDRRMO.

"We sent food packs to the families and currently, our team is still looking for temporary shelters," Dy said.

Dy said the PDRRMO is on code blue alert which means the office is monitoring possible weather disturbances, especially in landslide and flashflood-prone areas.

An officer of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) is reminding Cagayan de Oro, especially those living along and near riverbanks, to be on alert with the onset of the rainy season.

Allan Porcadilla, CDRRMO officer said residents can help prevent flooding simply by disposing of garbage properly.

"We all need to do our part," Porcadilla said, adding domestic waste is among the biggest causes of flooding in the city.

Porcadilla said they are monitoring the Cagayan de Oro River with real-time camera views round the clock.

Porcadilla said the CDRRMO's Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) has three teams with nine members each on standby. It also has an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) capability with six teams with three members each, including nurses as well as two ambulances.