Rains batter Metro

MANILA, Philippines - Heavy rains battered Metro Manila yesterday, prompting the cancellation of classes and some domestic flights.

Nathaniel Servando, administrator of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said the rains were brought by the convergence of the northeasterly and easterly winds and not by a low-pressure area off Palawan.

Servando urged the public to bring their umbrellas as rains would continue to prevail over Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon today.

“We expect light to moderate rains (on Saturday). Similar to this condition,” he said in a text message.

The Department of Education (DepEd) suspended classes up to high school in the National Capital Region yesterday afternoon because of the heavy rains.

“We apologize for the inconvenience to our parents but our primary concern is the safety of our children emanating from the latest advisory of PAGASA,” the DepEd advisory said.

The afternoon surge of student commuters making a rush to get home was seen to have exacerbated the rainy Friday traffic congestion in Metro Manila, with major thoroughfares, especially EDSA, seeing bumper-to-bumper and almost non-moving traffic flow in the afternoon, with the situation getting worse during the late afternoon and early evening Friday rush hour.

The bad weather also prompted Cebu Pacific, Airphilexpress and Zest Air to cancel domestic flights.

Cebu Pacific canceled 12 domestic flights to Virac, Naga, Legaspi, Busuanga, Cauyan and Tuguegarao and its turnaround flights. Airphilexpress canceled six flights to Busuanga, Legaspi and Cotabato and its turnaround flights, while Zest Air canceled their Manila-Busuanga-Manila flight.

As of 2 a.m. yesterday, the low pressure area was spotted at 330 kilometers west of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

PAGASA said the low pressure area is not expected to develop into a tropical cyclone.

PAGASA supervising undersecretary Graciano Yumul said areas in the eastern and western sections of the country are experiencing heavy rains due to the prevailing La Niña phenomenon.

He said La Niña rains will likely prevail up to February or March 2012.

Yumul also said they expect a rainy Christmas this year.

The official warned the public against possible flashfloods and landslides due to torrential rains triggered by the abnormal weather event.

“We will experience more rainy days starting this month until February or March next year,” Yumul said in a radio interview.

Disaster preparedness

The government declared that concerned government agencies and local government units are ready to implement contingency measures in the wake of the reported onslaught of the La Niña phenomenon.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said national and local officials are ready to carry out disaster preparedness plans to reduce the impact of natural disasters on people’s lives and properties.

Reports showed that local officials are ready to evacuate people living in areas declared as “highly susceptible” to flooding and landslides by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Local officials said they will start installing early warning systems to monitor water level in rivers.

Office of Civil Defense administrator Benito Ramos said they have started evacuating residents in Baco, Oriental Mindoro, which experienced heavy floods due to continuous rains.

“The evacuation has started in Baco, Oriental Mindoro. It’s hard to give an exact number (of evacuees) for now. They are with local respondents in the Army,” Ramos said.

The evacuees were being transported by a lone 6 x 6 military truck. Local police reports said 13 barangays in Baco town experienced heavy floods.

There were no reported casualties as of yesterday afternoon.

Ramos said classes in Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro have been suspended.

He said floods were also experienced in Surigao del Sur particularly in Carasacal, Cantilan, Madrid, Lanuza and Tandag municipalities.

Also affected were parts of Eastern Samar, the towns of Cadiz, Talisay and E.B. Magalona in Negros Occidental and Ivisan, Dumarao and Roxas City in Capiz.

Ramos urged people living in low-lying areas to cooperate with authorities who are conducting evacuation.

“We have issued warnings to them. People should avoid low-lying areas and mountainous slopes because the rains are expected to continue tomorrow and in the next few days,” he said.

Ramos also asked fishermen to avoid setting out to sea due to the bad weather.

“There are no typhoons but there are waves. It is not safe, especially for small boats,” he said. – Alexis Romero, Delon Porcalla, Rudy Santos, Rainier Allan Ronda