4 dead as 'Helen' batters Luzon

MANILA, Philippines - Tropical storm “Helen” (international name Kai-tak) maintained its strength yesterday as it moved away from the country after battering Northern Luzon provinces, leaving at least four people dead.

Stormy weather would still prevail over some parts of Northern Luzon as Helen moved toward the West Philippine Sea, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

As of 5 p.m. yesterday, storm warning signal Number 2 remained hoisted over the Batanes group of islands, Cagayan, Calayan, Babuyan group of islands, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Kalinga, Apayao and Abra.

Signal no. 1, meanwhile, was still up in Isabela, Northern Aurora, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Benguet and Ifugao, Mountain Province, Pangasinan and La Union.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the center of Helen was spotted 90 kilometers north of Laoag City, Ilocos Norte with maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph.

Helen was forecast to move west northwest at 17 kph but slightly weakened after hitting landmass in Palanan, Isabela at 1 a.m. yesterday.

It was expected to be out of the Philippine area of responsibility yesterday afternoon at 390 km west northwest of Laoag City.

PAGASA said Helen will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon which will bring rains over the rest of Luzon and the Visayas, particularly over the western section.

At 2:30 p.m. yesterday, the weather bureau issued a yellow rainfall warning over Metro Manila, meaning the area could experience 7.5 to 15 millimeters per hour of rains (heavy) and flooding is possible.

PAGASA continued to warn residents living in low-lying and mountainous areas under public storm warning signals against possible flashfloods and landslides as Helen could still dump 15 to 25 mm per hour of rain (heavy-intense) within its 500-km radius.

Likewise, those living in coastal areas under public storm warning signal no. 2 were alerted against big waves and storm surges generated by the storm.

The agency also advised operators of fishing boats and other small seacraft not to venture out into the seaboards of Central and Southern Luzon and the Visayas due to the effects of Helen and the southwest monsoon.

Meanwhile, Magat dam in Isabela has stopped releasing water as of 2 p.m. yesterday, PAGASA said.

However, Angat and Ipo dams in Bulacan continued to discharge water, the weather bureau said. The water level at Angat and Ipo were recorded at 213.70 meters and 100.20 meters, respectively, as of 2 p.m. yesterday.

One gate of Ambuklao and three gates of Binga dams in Benguet also remained open as of yesterday afternoon.

More families affected

Reports from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and the local police showed that the four fatalities came from the Ilocos region.

NDRRMC said Andrew Batara, 47, drowned while swimming in a river in Dingras, Ilocos Norte last Tuesday. His nephew, four-year-old Robimar Aleluya, was rescued by authorities.

Police Superintendent Jovencio Badua, spokesman for the Ilocos regional police, said Savino Mosquite, 44, of Barangay Lioac, Naguilian, La Union, died of electrocution.

The victim died before reaching the Naguilian District Hospital.

Meanwhile, a one-year-old child named Princess Nathalie Jamon drowned in Paoay, Ilocos Norte.

On Tuesday, the NDRRMC reported the death of Armando Borbon, 37, the first fatality of the storm. The victim experienced epileptic seizure and fell in a flooded rice field in Pangasinan.

More than 2,000 families have been affected by the storm based on available reports by disaster management units.

The Office of Civil Defense Region 1 said a total of 1,801 families or 9,975 persons have been affected in Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur.

A total of 135 families or 592 persons in the Ilocos region are now inside evacuation centers. The major roads in the region, however, remain passable.

NDRRMC said 357 families in Masinloc, Zambales were displaced by a flashflood. The agency is still awaiting situation reports from other field units.

Flooding also occurred in Bauang, La Union after the Bauang River overflowed due to continuous rains.

A landslide also occurred in Barangay Wenceslao in Caba, La Union but no fatalities were reported as of yesterday afternoon.

NDRRMC said the Coast Guard in Northern Luzon has been placed on heightened alert and has barred vessels from venturing out to sea.

The Health department, meanwhile, has pre-positioned medicine worth P100,000.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said that 15 roads remain impassable as of noon yesterday in five regions as a result of the heavy rains.

In most cases, the roads were declared closed to traffic because of landslides, cave-in pavements and floodwaters.

Metro Manila on alert

At least 50 percent of Valenzuela City villages were still inundated up to three feet deep, which the local government blamed on the overflowing Obando River in Bulacan.

Anha Majia, Valenzuela City public information officer, said that most of the affected barangays were on the Polo area, including Barangay Poblacion where the Valenzuela Emergency Hospital is located.

Mejia said that the breached dike in the Obando River is yet to be reconstructed and floodwaters coming from it, in addition to the high tide, submerged at least 13 low-lying villages in the city. Valenzuela has 33 barangays.

In Navotas, at least 100 families, mostly coming from the coastal barangays of Daang-Hari and Tangos, remained at the city’s evacuation centers.

In Malabon City, floodwaters already receded in the city’s barangays and classes have resumed, while the social welfare office and rescue unit of Caloocan City were placed on alert.

The water level of Marikina River rose to 15.2 meters above sea level due to heavy rains brought by Helen.

Paul Sison, the city’s public information officer, advised residents in the riverbanks and nearby low-lying areas to closely monitor the Marikina River as he pointed out that evacuation is not yet necessary.

Calamity loans for OFWs

Meanwhile, Vice President Jejomar Binay said overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) with families living in areas under a state of calamity may apply for the Home Development Mutual Fund’s (HDMF or Pag-Ibig Fund) calamity loan.

Binay, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Pag-Ibig Fund, said OFWs who are currently out of the country may designate a representative to submit required documents in Pag-Ibig branches where they remit their contributions.

“All OFWs who are active members of Pag-Ibig with 24 months’ contribution and are living in areas that are declared under a state of calamity can avail of calamity loan,” Binay said.

Binay, who also chairs the Housing and Urban Development Coodinating Council (HUDCC), said that representatives of OFWs need a special power of attorney duly authenticated by the Philippine embassy in the OFW’s host country.

He said they must also present two valid IDs.

The Vice President is set to visit Pag-Ibig Fund’s Imus, Pasay, Manila and Caloocan branches today to check the agency’s processing of calamity loan applications.

He said that under Pag-Ibig Fund’s calamity loan program, members may borrow up to 80 percent of their total contributions to be paid in two years.

“The only thing they need to do is to submit two valid IDs and calamity loan application form indicating their addresses which are included in the declared areas under a state of calamity,” Binay said.

Binay also said interest rates for calamity loans have been reduced by almost 50 percent.

– Alexis Romero, Jose Rodel Clapano, Evelyn Macairan, Perseus Echeminada, Non Alquitran, Pete Laude, Evelyn Macairan, Charlie Lagasca, Jun Elias, Ric Sapnu, Raymund Catindig, Rainier Allan Ronda, AP