Storm signals up in 11 areas

MANILA, Philippines -  Eleven areas were placed under storm warning signals yesterday as tropical storm “Falcon” (international name Meari) moved closer to the Bicol region, the weather bureau said.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, storm warning signal Number 1 was raised in the provinces of Quezon, Aurora, Albay, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Isabela, Cagayan including Calayan, Babuyan Islands and Batanes group of islands.

Rene Paciente, senior weather forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said Falcon will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon that will bring rains over central and Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao until Sunday

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the center of Falcon was spotted at 420 km east of Casiguran, Aurora with maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph.

It was forecast to move northwest at 15 kph.

Falcon is expected to be 270 km east northeast of Aparri, Cagayan this afternoon; 320 km north northeast of Basco, Batanes tomorrow afternoon; and 740 km north northeast of Basco or 140 km northwest of Okinawa, Japan by Sunday afternoon.

PAGASA said Falcon intensified after it merged with the low-pressure area off Catanduanes yesterday afternoon.

The weather bureau also issued gale warnings over the eastern seaboard of the country and the western seaboard of Luzon and of Visayas.

Falcon is the sixth tropical cyclone to enter the country this year and the third weather disturbance this month.            

Because of the strong rains, the Department of Education suspended classes in various cities and municipalities.       

Dr. Elena Ruiz, DepEd National Capital Region director, said afternoon classes were suspended in Pasay City, Malabon City, Manila, Taguig City and Pateros. 

In the city of San Juan, classes were also suspended for today.

DepEd Region 12 Director Isabelita Borres said classes were suspended yesterday and also for today, in five municipalities of Cotabato, as well as in Cotabato City.

Missing fishermen, floods

Ten fishermen and a fish vendor were reported missing in Catanduanes because of rough seas and flooding.                 

Raffy Alejandro, director of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Bicol, identified the missing persons as Prospero Tabios, Paquito Tabuzo, and Denver Santa Ines of Barangay San Vicente; Antonio Baylon, Nestor Magdasoc, and Vicente Tapit, of Barangay Ibong Sapa. Also reported missing is Rolando Tabor.

The seven fishermen left their coastal villages on two motorized boats at around 3 am on Wednesday while the storm was headed for Catanduanes.                                

Catanduanes Gov. Joseph Cua said three fishermen from Binanuahan in Bato town, were likewise missing since 4 a.m. on Wednesday. He identified them as Pedro Balingit, Jason Balingit, and John Sy Rodriguez.

Also reported missing was fish vendor Rosa Belga, 54 of Barangay Basag in Ligao City. Rosa and her husband Jordan Belga were crossing the Basag River at 3 a.m. yesterday when a strong current swept them away.

Jordan managed to save himself but Rosa was carried away. He was being treated at the Belmonte-Duran Memorial Hospital in Ligao City.

The heavy rains also caused flooding in low-lying areas in Albay.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda ordered the suspension of classes in all levels.

Evacuations were also carried out in the villages of Sugcad, Gabon, Balangibang and Ubaliw in Polangui town, and Calaguimit in Oas town because of flooding in the area. Evacuated were 74,549 persons yesterday morning.            

Also flooded were the towns of Libon, Ligao, Malinao, Malilipot, and Rapu-Rapu.

Salceda said residents of areas prone to landslide were already prepared for immediate evacuation should heavy downpour continue in the next 24 hours.

The upland roads in Polangui town were already impassable because of landslide.

Salceda also prohibited the sailing of small inter-island passenger sea craft and wooden-hulled fishing boats.

In Legazpi City, Barangay Tula-Tula, Barangay 18, and Oro site were flooded. Some 853 persons were evacuated in Barangay Tula-Tula while 27 were evacuated in Barangay 18. Libon Mayor Agnes Dycoco said some 887 families or 3,600 persons were evacuated from Barangays Bulusan, Paclas, Bonbon, Sta. Cruz, San Agustin, Borabod, San Isidro and West Carisac.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development has allotted P276.7 million standby funds and P29.51 million worth of relief goods for areas affected by the typhoon. DPWH regional director Nestor Dequito said two stake trucks, and six M-35 trucks were sent to Albay for the evacuation of residents.

The Navy has deployed its Islander aircraft for search and rescue operation in the Bicol region.

Jun Dalida, head of Southern Luzon bureau of PAGASA said continuous heavy rain during the past 24 hours registered 168.6 mm as tropical storm Falcon triggered the south-west monsoon rain on its way north.

The Philippine Coast Guard said that some 210 passengers were stranded at the ports of Tabaco City and Pio Duran as well as 15 vehicles at the Tabaco port, one car, three buses, and nine vessels.

Low visibility forced the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines here to cancel three morning flights to Bicol. Budget carrier Cebu Pacific cancelled 28 domestic flights from Manila to the Bicol region while another budget carrier AirphilExpress also canceled their six flights from Manila to Legaspi, Catarman, Surigao, Naga, Caticlan and Tuguegarao as well as its turn-around flights.

Agricultural damage

The Department of Agriculture (DA) estimated the agricultural damage caused by the continuous rains to have reached P658 million as of June 22.                                       Based on the consolidated reports of regions III, X, XI, XII, and the ARMM, the most affected provinces were North Cotabato and Maguindanao where value of damage has reached P313 million and P277 million respectively.        

Other affected areas in Mindanao are Bukidnon, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao City, South Cotabato, and Cotabato City.

The provinces of Bataan and Zambales in Central Luzon were also affected.

The DA said a total of 26,600 hectares of crop areas, mostly rice (19,318 hectares) and corn (7,108 hectares) were affected.

Lost palay is placed at 18,194 metric tons, 0.52 percent of the national production forecast of 3.49 million MT in the third quarter.

Most of the affected rice areas (70 percent) are in the seedbed and vegetative stage.

Lost corn is estimated at 7,820 MT, 0.33 percent of the third quarter national production forecast of 2.35 million MT. Corn areas affected were also mostly in the seedling and vegetative stage (60 percent).

Damage to rice crops is estimated at P500 million, corn at P137 million, High Value Crops (HVC) consisting of vegetables, banana and sugarcane at P9 million, and livestock and poultry at P1 million.                                           

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), meanwhile, reported that some 3.8 tons of dead milkfish and tilapia have been recovered from 38 fish cages operated by 18 fish farmers in Barangay Leviste, Balakikong and Berinayan, in Laurel, Batangas yesterday.

New Doppler radars

PAGASA said four Doppler radars are now operational while 50 additional automatic weather data transmitting stations have been installed nationwide to provide a better estimate of the volume of rainfall in inclement weather.

PAGASA administrator Dr. Nathaniel Servando said the four Doppler radars are now operating in Baguio City, Subic, Baler in Aurora, and Hinatuan in Surigao del Sur.

He said that by September three more Doppler radars would be set up in Tagaytay City, Mactan in Cebu, and Tampukan in South Cotabato.

Two other Doppler radars would be installed by the end of the year in Palawan and the Zamboanga Peninsula.                       

A Doppler radar measures the amount of rain brought by an incoming typhoon.

He said PAGASA would also deploy more weather forecasters in the field stations to improve monitoring weather conditions nationwide.– with Rainier Allan Ronda, Cet Dematera, Celso Amo, Alexis Romero, Cecile Suerte Felipe, Rudy Santos, Marianne Go, Perseus Echeminada