‘Quinta’ weakens but thousands stranded

MANILA, Philippines - Tropical storm “Quinta” weakened into a tropical depression yesterday after making landfall at least six times.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRMC) also reported Quinta’s damage in Northern Mindanao and in the Visayas was minimal as compared to the trail of devastation left by typhoon “Pablo” in the Davao region early this month.

Storm warning signal no. 1 remained hoisted over Mindoro provinces, Romblon, Lubang Island, Northern Palawan, Calamian Group of Islands, Cuyo Island, Marinduque, Aklan, Capiz, Antique, Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Guimaras as of 5 p.m. yesterday.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, Quinta was spotted at 90 km east of Coron, Palawan with maximum winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center. It was moving west at a speed of 24 kph, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos said moderate to heavy rains dumped by the storm resulted in minor flooding and a landslide in the Surigao provinces and in Eastern Visayas.

“We haven’t monitored any casualty and no one was reported missing. No one was also reported hurt,” Ramos said.

Ramos said that Maharlika Highway in Eastern Visayas was closed to traffic as a result of a landslide in Barangay Kahupian, Sogod, Southern Leyte at about 4 a.m. yesterday.

In Dinagat and Siargao islands, Surigao del Norte, some 80 families or 265 individuals have already started to return to their homes.

Prior to the storm landfall, local disaster officials, still fearful of the massive devastation left by Pablo in Davao, ordered the conduct of forced evacuations in Northern Mindanao using Army and police troops.

Local rescue teams also rescued five persons after their motorboat sank along the coast of barangay Corregidor, Dapa, Surigao del Sur.

The heavy rains brought by Quinta also led to thousands of passengers getting stranded in seaports and airports.

The Philippine Coast Guard said more than 9,000 people were stranded in several ports in the country.

Coast Guard spokesman Commandant Armand Balilo said the number of passengers waiting in seaports has already reached 9,402 as of early afternoon yesterday.

In the South Harbor and the North Harbor in Metro Manila alone, the number of stranded passengers reached 2,550.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Bicol added some 2,324 passengers were stranded in various ports, as the Coast Guard strictly imposed a no-sailing policy during the passing of the storm.

“The damages were very minimal. As of this time, there’s no casualty,” Ramos said, adding that the number of stranded passengers and rolling cargoes have also gone down, as the Coast Guard has lifted suspension of port operations in some of the storm affected areas.

Some 41 domestic flights were also canceled after Quinta made landfall in several parts of the Visayas since Tuesday.

Cebu Pacific canceled 33 domestic flights from Manila to Caticlan, Legaspi, Virac, Roxas and Tuguegarao and its turn-around flights and eight flights of Zest Air for Masbate, Tacloban and Kalibo and its turn-around flights.

Transmission service provider National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) is checking transmission facilities damaged by the storm.

The lines from Borangan-McArthur 69-kilovolt line, the Taft-Borongan 69 Kv line and the Sogod-Maasin 69 Kv line reportedly tripped between the evening of Dec. 25 and early morning yesterday.

“Please note that loss of power may be caused by affected transmission facilities of NGCP or distribution facilities of local distribution utilities,” the NGCP said.

This developed after some 57,000 consumers of the Cebu Electric Cooperative Inc. (CEBECO) were affected by a power outage after Quinta hit northern Cebu early yesterday.

Thirteen towns, including Tuburan, Tabuelan, Tabogon, Catmon, Sogod, Carmen, Medellin, San Remigio, Compostela, Borbon, and Daanbantayan, as well as the cities of Bogo and Danao, experienced the power outage.

The storm also left several houses destroyed in the Negros provinces.

Several houses were damaged in Escalante City, Sagay City, Silay City, and E. B. Magalona – all in northern Negros.

In Escalante City, 25 families from barangay Paitan were evacuated. There were no reports of casualties or injuries.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said two road sections in Eastern Visayas and one in the Caraga region were not passable to vehicular traffic as a result of this latest weather disturbance.

The Mahaplag-Sogod Road in Daang Maharlika in Southern Leyte was closed due to soil collapse, while a portion of the Junction Taft-Borongan Road cannot be accessed because it was flooded.

Parts of the Butuan City-Talacogon Loreto-Veruela-Sta. Josefa Road and Waloe Bridge cannot be used by motorists.

DPWH has already given instructions to regional offices in the affected areas to deploy emergency crew and equipment to conduct clearing and emergency repair works.

Meanwhile, Sen. Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on climate change, called on local government units to ensure the evacuation of residents living in danger areas along the path of storm Quinta.

Legarda urged the affected residents to heed the warnings and instructions of the local disaster risk reduction units in order to avoid loss of life from the impact of the storm. – With Jaime Laude, Evelyn Macairan, Neil Jerome Morales, Celso Amo, Fred Padernos, Cet Dematera, Danny Dangcalan, Rudy Santos, Marvin Sy, Helen Flores, Ria Mae Booc/The Freeman