Kabayan hits Aurora, nearby provinces; fair weather seen

MANILA, Philippines - Floods spawned by Tropical Storm Kabayan forced the suspension of classes in Metro Manila and neighboring areas yesterday, but beginning today the entire country will experience generally fair weather as the storm moves away from the Philippine area of responsibility.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Kabayan was expected to exit between 11 p.m. yesterday and 1 a.m. today. PAGASA lifted all storm warning signals at 5 p.m. yesterday.

PAGASA marine meteorological services section chief Rene Paciente said partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated thunderstorms would prevail in most parts of the country this weekend.

Moderate to occasionally heavy rains were still expected yesterday over the provinces of Bataan, Zambales, Tarlac and Pangasinan as Kabayan hovered over the West Philippine Sea.

A high-pressure area located northeast of Kabayan was pushing it westward, causing the storm to move very fast. Kabayan was forecast to move west northwest at 20 kilometers per hour.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the center of Kabayan was located at 205 kilometers northwest of Dagupan City, Pangasinan, packing winds of 75 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph.

Aurora, other provinces affected

Kabayan intensified into a storm before it made landfall over San Luis town in Aurora province yesterday.

Strong rains and winds spawned by the storm toppled trees in the province, rendering a route in Barangay Villa in Maria Aurora town impassable to motorists from Nueva Ecija and the rest of Central Luzon. Floodwaters also inundated Barangay Villa.

The storm also disrupted the construction of a two-lane bridge that will connect Aurora to Nueva Ecija and the rest of Central Luzon.

Reynaldo Alconcel, district engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Aurora, said as of yesterday the remaining passable route to the province was the Pantabanagan-Canili area. 

“Five road sections – one in Aurora, one in Bulacan and three in Nueva Ecija – were rendered impassable due to heavy flooding and landslide,” said Josefina Timoteo, director of the Central Luzon Regional Disaster Risk and Management Council.

In Nueva Ecija, the storm caused flashfloods and landslide in Barangay Ligaya in Gabaldon town, forcing the evacuation of 30 families. Nineteen barangays in the towns of Laur, Cuyapo, Rizal and Bongabon were still submerged yesterday.

In Bulacan, farmers had mixed reactions to the heavy rains spawned by the storm.

The downpour was a big relief for farmers whose standing rice crops were in dire need of water, while farmers whose rice crops were ready for harvest were worried the rains could deteriorate the quality of their produce.

Some farmers, on the other hand, wanted the storm to bring in more rains to fill the Angat watershed so that the Angat Dam would have enough irrigation water during the El Niño.

The Philippine Coast Guard, meanwhile, is confirming reports that seven fishermen went missing in Baler, Aurora at the height of the storm.

PCG spokesman Commander Armand Balilo said the Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Council reported sighting an empty boat in the sea. Search and rescue operation is ongoing.

With Janvic Mateo, Alexis Romero, Evelyn Macairan, Manny Galvez, Ric Sapnu, Rainier Allan Ronda, Robertzon Ramirez, Non Alquitran, Jaime Laude, Ramon Lazaro