MANILA, Philippines - Good weather condition is expected to prevail over the country this week as tropical depression “Nando” yesterday continued to move away from the country, the chief of the state weather bureau said.
Prisco Nilo, administrator of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), however, said the southwest monsoon, which is still being enhanced by Nando, would bring occasional to frequent rains over the western section of Luzon, including Metro Manila.
As of 5 p.m. yesterday, storm warning signal no. 1 remained hoisted over Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur.
Public storm warning signal elsewhere was lowered.
At 4 p.m. yesterday, the eye of Nando was spotted at 220 kilometers northwest of Laoag City, packing winds of 55 kilometers per hour near the center.
It was forecast to move west-northwest at 15 kph.
Nando is expected to be at 540 kms west-northwest of Laoag City or over the South China Sea this afternoon.
Nilo said this disturbance would continue to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring occasional to frequent rains over the western section of Luzon.
He advised residents in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes to take all the necessary precautionary measures against possible flashfloods and landslides.
Meanwhile, Pagasa said big waves would still affect the seaboards of central and southern Luzon, Visayas, and the northern and western seaboards of Mindanao due to the surge of the southwest monsoon.
“Fishing boats and other small sea craft are advised not to venture out to sea while larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves,” the weather bureau said.
Nando was the 14th tropical cyclone to enter the country this year and the third this month.
Pagasa said three to four tropical cyclones are likely to enter the country in September.
Angat dam won’t to release water yet
In Norzagaray, Bulacan, water elevation at the Angat Dam breached its 210-meter spilling level yesterday but an official said they would not release water yet until it climbs to 212 meters.
“There is nothing to fear because we will not release water until the dam’s water elevation reaches 212 meters,” said engineer Rodolfo German, manager of the Angat River Hydro-Electric Power Plant (ARHEPP) of the National Power Corp. (Napocor) that manages the Angat Dam.
He explained that Angat Dam can hold water up to 212 meters, but they are using the 210-meter spilling level in case of an incoming typhoon that is expected to dump more water on the dam.
Records obtained by The STAR from the ARHEPP yesterday showed that water elevation at the dam is steadily climbing.
At 8 a.m. yesterday, ARHEPP recorded 209.91 meters water elevation, but by 1 p.m. it climbed to 210.08 meters, breaching the 210 meters spilling level.
As this developed, Gov. Joselito Mendoza led a team of experts and media men to Angat Dam yesterday to investigate allegations that the dam’s dike was cracked and sitting on an active geological fault line.
But officials of the Napocor and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) denied there were cracks in the 41-year-old dam.
“Maybe, they just used the wrong word. There is no crack, but there is seepage on the dike,” Jose Doredo, the principal engineer of the MWSS said.
Danger signs to watch out for are if the water coming out of the seepage showed discoloration and had pressure, MWSS noted.
A thousand displaced in Laguna
Meanwhile, about a thousand people from 10 barangays in Laguna were displaced due to heavy rains caused by Nando, the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) reported yesterday.
PNRC Laguna Chapter said a total of 995 persons or 382 families were evacuated as water of Laguna de Bay continues to rise.
The affected families were immediately brought to seven evacuation centers, namely Santisima Elementary School, Barangay Aplaya barangay hall and chapel, Bambang Elementary School, Barangay Palingon Elementary School, Barangay Pansol and Barangay Sampiruhan, the PNRC added.
The PNRC’s Laguna Chapter’s branches in Pila and Sta. Rosa already distributed relief goods to affected families in the evacuation centers.
PNRC chief Sen. Richard Gordon also yesterday ordered all Red Cross chapters in Laguna to be vigilant for any untoward incident due to Nando. – With Dino Balabo and Mayen Jaymalin