2 siblings dead in Rizal landslide; classes suspended

MANILA, Philippines — Two siblings were killed in a rockslide in Rodriguez, Rizal as Tropical Storm Maymay and the enhanced southwest monsoon continued to bring heavy rains across Luzon yesterday.

Police identified the fatalities as Urilyn Sison, 22, and her 20-year-old brother, Jessie.

The siblings were cooking lunch in a hut in Barangay San Rafael when large rocks fell from the mountainside at around 12:20 p.m., killing them on the spot. Their remains were later recovered by responders.

Aside from the casualties, the heavy rains also displaced thousands of residents and prompted widespread class and work suspensions.

As of yesterday afternoon, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 41,979 people had been affected.

Of the total, 5,818 people were temporarily sheltered in 14 evacuation centers in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol Region, Zamboanga Peninsula and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

In La Union and Pangasinan alone, more than 19,000 residents were affected by heavy rains and flooding triggered by the enhanced southwest monsoon, Tropical Depression Luis and Maymay (international name Kujira).

Two houses, meanwhile, were reported partially damaged in the Pangasinan towns of Balungao and Sison.

The NDRRMC has so far extended more than P1.2 million worth of food and non-food assistance to affected families and communities, while local government units have provided an additional P126,806 in aid.

To bolster response efforts, the Philippine Coast Guard deployed response groups to La Union to assist in pre-emptive evacuation operations ahead of the storm’s expected landfall.

Search-and-rescue and medical personnel were also sent to assist the San Fernando City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office in conducting pre-emptive evacuations and hauling tents.

Classes, work suspended

Amid the worsening weather, Malacañang suspended work in government offices and classes at all levels in the National Capital Region and seven provinces beginning 3 p.m. yesterday.

Memorandum Circular 121, signed by Executive Secretary Ralph Recto by authority of President Marcos, covers Metro Manila, Abra, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Benguet, Pangasinan and Zambales following the recommendation of the NDRRMC.

The Palace urged agencies involved in the delivery of basic and health services, disaster preparedness and response and other vital public services to continue operations to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of essential services.

Local chief executives in other areas may impose localized suspensions based on prevailing weather conditions, while work in private companies was left to the discretion of management.

Following the suspension of work and classes, as well as the lifting of the number coding scheme, traffic buildup was reported in several areas across Metro Manila, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

Earlier in the day, several Metro Manila local government units had already suspended face-to-face classes as PAGASA raised a yellow rainfall warning.

Quezon City suspended afternoon face-to-face classes in public schools from Child Development Centers to Grade 12, with alternative learning modes to be implemented. Private schools and higher education institutions were allowed to decide on their own class suspensions.

Mandaluyong shifted pre-school to Grade 12 classes in both public and private schools to alternative learning modes, while Valenzuela, Caloocan, Marikina, Navotas, Malabon, Parañaque, Manila, Taguig, Pasay, Makati, Las Piñas, San Juan and Muntinlupa also suspended in-person afternoon classes or shifted to asynchronous or alternative learning.

Several courts in La Union and Abra suspended operations yesterday due to the inclement weather brought by Maymay and other weather systems.

According to advisories issued by the Supreme Court’s Office of the Court Administrator, suspended courts in La Union include all first- and second-level courts in Agoo, Bauang and San Fernando City; the municipal trial courts of Aringay, Rosario, Sto. Tomas, Caba, Naguilian, Bacnotan, Balaoan, Bangar, Luna, Santol and Sudipen; the municipal circuit trial courts of Tubao-Pugo, Bagulin-Burgos and San Juan-San Gabriel and Regional Trial Court Branch 34.

In Abra, work was suspended at the RTC Office of the Clerk of Court, RTC Branches 1, 2 and 1-Family Court, the maintenance and mediation units, the Municipal Trial Court of Bangued and the Municipal Circuit Trial Courts of Pidigan-San Quintin-Langiden and Bangui-Pagudpud-Adams-Dumalneg.

Despite the suspension, each court was advised to maintain a skeleton workforce to act on urgent requests for bail, orders of release, writs of habeas corpus and similar urgent reliefs.

Maymay intensified

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, Maymay intensified into a tropical storm after developing into a tropical cyclone.

It was last located 145 kilometers west of Sinait, Ilocos Sur, moving north northeast at 10 kilometers per hour, with maximum sustained winds of 75 kph and gusts of up to 90 kph.

As it moves across Northern Luzon, it is expected to make landfall over Ilocos Sur, extending to Ilocos Norte and La Union, early today and gradually weaken before reaching the vicinity of Palanan, Isabela.

The southwest monsoon and Maymay’s outer circulation are also expected to bring strong to gale-force gusts over most parts of the country until tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Typhoon Dolphin continues to be monitored outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR). It was last located 1,645 kilometers east northeast of extreme Northern Luzon at 4 p.m. yesterday.– Michael Punongbayan, Artemio Dumlao, Evelyn Macairan, Helen Flores, Bella Cariaso, Ghio Ong, Andrew Ronquillo