Ineng death toll rises to 10

MANILA, Philippines - Six more people have been confirmed killed in landslides in the Cordillera region and Ilocos Norte as heavy rains and winds spawned by Typhoon Ineng (Goni) continue to lash areas in Northern Luzon, officials said yesterday.

The latest casulaties brought the death toll to 10 from last Friday’s four. A total of eight people were injured and two others missing, with some 11,500 persons displaced in Ilocos and the Cordillera region, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) said.

The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) reported three more landslide-related deaths in Benguet later in the evening as the death toll was pegged at seven earlier yesterday.

The NDRRMC identified the seven fatalities as Eycar Manid-ing Mayon, 10, who was buried alive in a landslide that hit their house at Barangay Namatec, Barangay Sabangan, Mt. Province; Eric Celo, 26, and Markim Celo, 21, who were also buried in a landslide that hit their village at Barangay Gambang, Baku, Benguet Friday afternoon;

Michael Felix Guingaban, 58, who perished in a mudslide at Sitio Labayan, Barangay Bongao, Baguias, Benguet; Herminio Taguyo Jr., 47, who was hit by an uprooted mango tree in Barangay Capangdangan, Pinili, Ilocos Norte; Glen Poloc Baldasan, 47, who was buried alive in a mudslide at Sitio Giwing, Barangay Cabitan, Manyakan, Benguet; and Michael Martin Lagasan, of Cervantes, Ilocos Sur.

Lagasan died after the car he was driving was buried in a mudslide in Barangay Palatong, Mankayan, Benguet, also on Friday.

The CAR reported three more fatalities identified as Noli Lubante, Jr., 21 and his six-month pregnant wife Nova Mae after their house was buried in a landslide at Sitio Cotcot, Barangay Bulalacao, Mankayan town.

On the other hand, one-year-old Jury Catubing perished in a landslide that hit their house at Sitio Bayating, Barangay Topdac Atok.

The toddler’s parents Juanito and Regina with their three-year-old child survived but were injured.

Also among the injured were Lycar Manid-ing Mayon, 9, of Barnagay Namatic, Sabangan, Mt. Province; Jolier Dahlig, 67, of Barangay Napu, Badoc, Ilocos Norte; Maricel Ragasa, 25, of San Vicente, Ilocos Sur; and Efren Cabugan, 44, of Barangay Kayugasan, Uyugan in the island province of Batanes.

Except for young Mayon, who survived a landslide that resulted in the death of his younger brother in Mt. Province, the rest of the injured were hit by uprooted or fallen trees and branches that were blown away by the strong winds of the storm.

Officials said search and rescue teams are searching for Jubert Bumatay of Barangay Baraoas Norte, Naguilian, La Union and Jay-Ar Mallari, of Barangay Manalpak, Solsona, Ilocos Norte, who were both reportedly swept away by floodwaters.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in the Ilocos region reported yesterday that a total of 63 families or 268 individuals were displaced.

Cagayan Valley disaster officials also reported 1,777 displaced families or 7,443 persons, while the Cordillera region reported 160 families or 531 persons, for a total of 11,500 displaced individuals from three regions who have sought shelter in government-run evacuation centers.

Heavy rainfall spawned by Ineng in the Cordillera also left vast agricultural lands flooded with huge damage expected.

The NDRRMC has yet to come up with the damage assessment report from Ineng that rendered the entire island province of Batanes without electricity, as well as the towns Sanches Mira, Claveria, Sta. Praxedes, Pamplona and Sta. Ana in Cagayan Valley.

Officials reported Batanes was completely paralyzed without water and electricity. Several roads in the island province were impassable due to landslides and communications are down.

The entire provinces under the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) are also experiencing power interruption or outages, the NDRRC reported.

The OCD-Cordillera reported that power was restored in Bangued, Abra while linemen from the Abra Electric Cooperative are undertaking power restoration work in most typhoon affected areas in the province.

La Trinidad, Benguet’s capital town, also restored power yesterday while power restoration work is being undertaken at Sablan, Atok, Kibungan, Bakun, Buguias, Bokod and Mankayan towns.

Electricity was restored in at least 75 percent of Baguio City and in Lagawe, Ifugao’s capital town. Power in Tabuk City and Bontoc was restored while power cooperative linemen are undertaking restoration work in most interior villages in the provinces.

Roads

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported that one lane in some roads in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte were blocked due to landslides.

There were also damaged portions on the concrete slab approaches of the Lana Bridge and the double barrel box culvert along Laoag-Sarrat-Piddig-Solsona Road that collapsed.

The passage along the Bacarra section of the Manila North Road and Laoag-Balacad road were blocked by uprooted and fallen trees.

The DPWH added only one lane of the Tagudin-Cervantes Road, Butac section remained passable to motorists due to landslides.

The Calungbuyan Bailey Bridge along Santa Rancho road in Ilocos Sur was washed out, the DPWH added.

There were also reports that the mountain slope protection along Alaminos-Bolinao road was damaged and the land scoured riverbank protection along Burgos-Agno Road in Barangay Bangan-oda, Agno, Pangasinan eroded.

Kennon road going to Baguio City is still closed to vehicular traffic, particularly at the Wabac section along Camp 7 and Camp 3 which were devastated by massive land and rock slides.

At least 15 provincial road systems linking the Cordillera region with its neighbors in Regions 1 and 2 were closed, including the Ilocos Norte-Apayao road, Claveria, Cagayan-Calanasan (Apayao) road, the Babalan-Pinukpuk and Lubuagan-Batong Buhay road in Kalinga.

Only one lane was passable at the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya road, Baguio-Bua Itogon road, Gurel-Bokod-Kabayan-Buguias, Acop-Kapangan-Kibungan-Bakun, Buguias-Abatan road and Abatan-Mankayan-Cervantes. The Baguio-Bontoc (Halsema) road was closed on the Mt. Province side.

The Mt. Province-Cagayan via Tabuk-Enrile road was closed, while the Junction Talubin-Barlig-Natonin-Paracelis Calacad road was also shut down. The Mt. Province-Ilocos Sur road, particularly at Cabunagan and Dawdawan sections, was also impassable.

The Abra-Kalinga road system was also closed down while the Abra-Ilocos Norte road was opened yesterday.

The Aguibo-Malibcong provincial road in Abra was also shut down.

No spillover

Despite the heavy rains spawned by Ineng, the amount of rainfall was not enough to supply the Magat Dam in Ramon, Isabela as it remains in critical level as of yesterday.

Magat reservoir authorities said the dam’s water level was only 178.58 meters, below the normal 183 meters.

On the other hand, the San Roque Dam in Pangasinan is threatening to overflow, prompting the National Power Corp. to undertake a preemptive release through its spillway with two gates opened at 0.5 meter high at noon yesterday.

Tom Valdez, vice president for corporate social responsibility of San Roque Power Corp., said the estimated outflow would be 400 cubic meters per second.

“That is only a small volume of water,” Valdez said, allaying fears that it would cause flooding downstream.

The conditions of the dams of Angat, Ipo, Bustos, all in Bulacan and Pantabangan in Nueva Ecija are still not at spilling level, officials added.

Outside PAR

Storm warning signals remain hoisted in six provinces in northern Luzon even as Ineng slightly weakened and accelerated as it moved away from the Philippine area of responsibility yesterday.

In its 5 p.m. severe weather bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) placed the island province of Batanes under signal number 3.

Northern Cagayan, including Calayan and Babuyan Group of Islands, was placed under signal number 2, while the rest of Cagayan and the provinces of Apayao, Kalinga, Ilocos Norte and Abra are under signal number 1.

Areas under public storm warning signals were advised against possible flashfloods and landslides.

Storm surges of up to one meter are also possible in areas under signals number 1 and 2, PAGASA said.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the eye of the typhoon was located 105 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes.

Ineng slightly weakened and packed maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 185 kph.

“Estimated rainfall amount is from moderate to heavy within the 500-km diameter of the typhoon,” PAGASA said.

Weather forecaster Samuel Duran said Ineng is expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility on Monday, but said it may change as the typhoon continued to accelerate.

Ineng was forecast yesterday to move at the speed of 13 kph northeast. It is expected to be at 405 km northeast of Basco today and at 1,035 km northeast of Basco, or outside the Philippine area of responsibility, tomorrow afternoon.

Duran said provinces in Northern Luzon will continue to experience stormy weather today due to the typhoon.

He said residents in other parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, and the western part of the Visayas should also expect heavy rainfall as the weather system is expected to intensify the southwest monsoon.

Duran said the rest of the Visayas and Mindanao may experience gradual improvement of weather, but noted the possibility of rainfall due to the southwest monsoon.

“Fisherfolk are advised not to venture out to the seaboards of Metro Manila, Isabela, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan and La Union and the seaboards of Central and Southern Luzon,” the state weather bureau advised.

PAGASA yesterday raised a yellow alert rainfall warning in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon and warned of possible flooding in low-lying areas.

Occasional heavy downpour affected Metro Manila, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan and parts of Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Zambales.

Light to moderate rains were also experienced in Cebu, Isabela, Pangasinan, Mindoro, Iloilo, Aklan, Negros Occidental, Leyte and Agusan del Norte.

No classes

On the other hand, several local government units, including in Metro Manila, that are not under public storm warning signals declared the suspension of classes yesterday due to the yellow alert warning of heavy rains.

The Department of Education said among those that suspended classes in all levels include Cavite, Marikina, Quezon City, Parañaque, Makati, Pasay, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Caloocan and San Juan.

The city governments of Navotas and Valenzuela also suspended classes in all levels yesterday.

Among the higher education institutions that suspended classes are the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, City of Malabon University, City of Malabon Polytechnic Institute, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela, Valenzuela City Polytechnic College, University of Baguio, Bulacan State University and Adamson University.

Classes in areas under signal number 3 are automatically suspended in all levels, while classes up to high school are suspended in areas under signal number 2.

Pre-school classes are suspended in areas under signal number 1. – Janvic Mateo, Evelyn Macairan, Jack Castano, Robertzon Ramirez, Ric Sapnu, Eva Visperas, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Raymund Catindig, Danny Dangcalan, Artemio Dumlao.