Disaster warning extended to Western Mindanao

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) yesterday included Western Mindanao in its disaster warning, besides Eastern and Southern Mindanao, because a prevailing low-pressure area may become a tropical storm.

As of 2 p.m. yesterday, the weather bureau said a low-pressure area was spotted 550 kilometers east-southeast of General Santos City.        

The weather disturbance is expected to bring widespread rains particularly over Eastern Mindanao which may trigger flashfloods and landslides.

The NDRRMC has directed all disaster officials of local government units (LGUs) in Mindanao to adopt mitigating measures.              

Civil Defense regional director Adriano Fuego said they have issued warnings to LGUs, especially in areas prone to landslides and flashfloods.

He said the weather pattern has changed because the region does not usually experience weather disturbances.

“All the areas prone to landslides and flashfloods are being monitored, iba na talaga ngayon (it’s really different now) because of climate change,” Fuego said.          

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), meanwhile, discourages small seacraft from sailing because of the weather disturbance.

 “The Coast Guard ruling is if the low-pressure area turns into a typhoon, small vessels shall not be allowed to go out to sea,” said Capt. Perfecto Eden, PCG Commandant Admiral Ramon Liwag directed yesterday all PCG districts, stations and detachments to ensure preparedness of their respective operational and deployable response units and to warn coastal residents and fishermen on the danger brought about by the weather disturbance.

All PCG units were also directed to remind all shipping companies to strictly follow the memorandum circulars implemented by PCG during bad weather conditions.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said areas that are likely to experience moderate to heavy rains today until tomorrow include Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Surigao del Sur and other parts of Caraga region. The rest of Mindanao will experience light to moderate rains.

Should the low-pressure area develop into a cyclone, it will be named “Ambo.”

PAGASA administrator Nathaniel Servando said the low-pressure area was already near land mass and could no longer gain strength. The prevailing northeast monsoon – the system that brings cool weather in the country - also prevented it from intensifying.

He said the cool weather is not conducive for tropical cyclone formation.

“This weather system will bring mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms over Eastern Visayas and Mindanao, becoming cloudy with widespread rains over Eastern Mindanao which may trigger flashfloods and landslides,” PAGASA said in an advisory.

Servando said new low-pressure areas will likely form over the Pacific Ocean in the following days, bringing more rains over the country.

He said tropical cyclones do not usually visit the country in January, but because of the La Niña phenomenon, a cyclone is expected to occur in the country this month.

Servando said a cyclone that develops in January usually crosses the Visayas and Mindanao.

He said the rest of the Visayas will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

Northern and Eastern Luzon will have mostly cloudy skies with light rains, while the rest of Luzon will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with light rains due to the northeast monsoon.

Disaster preparedness summit

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III said he would convene a disaster preparedness summit in Mindanao to strengthen the region’s readiness in times of natural calamities.

“There is an urgent need to organize a meeting involving the government and private sectors in Mindanao to come up with a unified and well-coordinated disaster preparedness plan to prevent further loss of lives and destruction of property,” Pimentel said.                   

During the summit, the vulnerable areas of the region will be determined for the purpose of making each community prepared for natural calamities.

Pimentel said a geohazard map of Mindanao must be made available to all LGUs so that residents may know which areas are not suitable for residential development.

He said the physical condition of dams and structures in the region must also be determined.

It must also be known which LGUs already have effective early warning systems and disaster mitigation plans, he said.

Funding sources for disaster preparedness and mitigation – both domestic and international – must also be established.               

Pimentel said that during his visits to the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan in the aftermath of tropical storm “Sendong,” he observed that there was lack of coordination between the local government and national government agencies.

He said this is apparent in the aspect of information dissemination that could have enabled the residents to prepare for the coming storm.

“Up to the gathering of cadavers and their identification, there was virtually no system as bodies were seen paraded in a dump,” Pimentel said.– With Helen Flores, Marvin Sy