Pagasa raises storm warning in 20 areas

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) yesterday raised storm warning signals in at least 20 areas in northern Luzon as typhoon “Ramil” moved closer to the country.

Pagasa also r enewed its urgent call for residents living in high-risk areas in northern Luzon to leave for safer ground as Ramil, the third storm to hit the country this month, is certain to hit the region tomorrow.

As of 5 p.m. yesterday, storm warning signal no. 2 was hoisted over the Batanes group of islands, Cagayan (including Calayan and Babuyan Islands) and Isabela.

Signal no. 1 was raised over Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mt. Province, Benguet, La Union, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora and northern Quezon, including Polillo Island.

Pagasa administrator Prisco Nilo also warned residents in the eastern coast of northern and central Luzon against storm surge, particularly the populated areas of Palanan, Isabela and northern Aurora.

“They must evacuate now. Those who can move to safer places should not wait for the local officials to evacuate them,” Pagasa deputy administrator Nathaniel Cruz said at a press briefing at the Pagasa Weather and Flood Forecasting Center in Quezon City.

Cruz said worsening weather condition is expected in northern and some parts of central Luzon as the typhoon moves closer to the country.

He said the whole country would experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms.

Nilo said some areas in northern Luzon were already experiencing heavy rains as of yesterday.

Anticipating ‘Lupit’s’ cruelty

Ramil (international code name: Lupit), packing winds of 195 kilometers per hour near the center, is expected to make landfall over Cagayan province around noon Thursday.

Nilo said a typhoon of that strength could cause major damage like toppling power and phone lines and uprooting trees.

He said Ramil could still reach super typhoon status (215 kph maximum sustained winds) as it was still over the Pacific Ocean where it could gain strength.

Nilo said they might raise storm warning signal no. 4 over northern Luzon provinces before Ramil hits land on Thursday.

He said because Ramil is a large and powerful typhoon, the radius of damaging winds extends far beyond the center.

“The typhoon’s circulation could reach even provinces in the northern section of central Luzon which includes Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Zambales and Pampanga,” Nilo told reporters.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the eye of Ramil was spotted some 750 kilometers east northeast of Aparri, Cagayan, packing winds of 195 kph and gustiness of up to 230 kph.

Ramil was forecast to move west at 15 kph.

Nilo said a high-pressure area off Hong Kong has slowed down the movement of Ramil and pushed it downward toward northern Luzon.

He said because Ramil slowed down, residents in affected areas would continue to experience stormy weather in the next few days.

Ramil is expected to be at 440 km east northeast of Aparri this afternoon, at 90 km east northeast of Aparri or at 195 km east of Aparri by tomorrow afternoon.

By Friday afternoon, it would be at 180 km west southwest of Laoag City.

Nilo said Ramil is expected to bring 20 to 25 millimeters per hour of rains during its passage on Thursday, which could last for about 12 hours.

Church calls on the faithful

The Catholic Church, anticipating a debilitating weather disturbance that could bring so much damage to life and property, called on the Filipino people to pray that they be spared.

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) treasurer Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco called on the people to pray the Oratio Imperata (obligatory prayer), an old Catholic tradition where the bishop leads the community in prayer for a special intention.

“Global warming is upon us. Typhoons, floods, volcanic eruption, and other natural calamities occur in increasing number and intensity,” part of the prayer reads.

“The environment is made to suffer our wrongdoing, and now we reap the harvest of our abuse and indifference,” the prayer, which is mandated to be read at Mass, reads.

All out for NDCC

Meanwhile, a senior disaster official stressed yesterday that the government can only prepare so much in the face of the incoming typhoon.

Former Army general and National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) executive officer Glenn Rabonza said the government is now all out in its preparations “to welcome Ramil,” but these are mainly aimed at mitigating the impact when it hits land.

“Disaster equipment, food, medicine, relief goods and other forms of life support systems have already been pre-positioned in various areas. We have been doing this since last Saturday,” Rabonza said.

Rabonza said that with the massive disaster preparations, the NDCC is now leaving the matter to local executives to take the necessary precautionary measures in looking after the welfare of their constituents.

“Those living along the coastlines under Signal No. 2 are advised to be on alert against big waves generated by Ramil,” Rabonza said.

The government was moving fast to prevent any loss of life this time around, stocking up on food and clothes and moving residents out of harm’s way.

“These days we no longer have a problem convincing residents to evacuate,” said Loreto Espenilli, police chief of Benguet where almost 300 people died during the onslaught of typhoon “Pepeng.”

Village officials were using megaphones to warn of the impending typhoon and sirens will be sounded once it makes landfall.

“We will force them to leave if they don’t want to. It is easier to evacuate people than to dig for their bodies after a mudslide,” Espenilli said.

Hundreds of rescuers and tons of emergency supplies were already put in place in Northern Luzon and preparations were also being made to evacuate residents in the direct path of Ramil.

Bonifacio Cuarteros, civil defense chief in Cagayan, where Ramil is expected to cause most damage, said rescue teams and dozens of trucks capable of passing through floods have been deployed along the northern coast.

The NDCC has delivered 90 tons of food and other relief items to northern Luzon, while 44 tons were being flown to the sparsely populated Batanes Islands. – Jaime Laude, Evelyn Macairan, Eva Visperas, AP