‘Seniang’ intensifies into a typhoon

Tropical storm "Seniang" intensified into a typhoon and made a landfall over Guiuan, Eastern Samar at noon yesterday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said yesterday.

Science and Technology Undersecretary and Pagasa administrator Graciano Yumul said the weather bureau’s forecasts are 100 percent accurate amid allegations that they sometimes give out incorrect information about weather conditions.

"Pagasa’s accuracy is always 100 percent because the forecast is based on available data," he said during a press conference at the Pagasa’s main office in Quezon City.

The national organizing committee of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and East Asia summits announced last Friday that the two events — originally scheduled to start on Monday in Cebu — were moved to January next year because of the typhoon.

Pagasa, however, said they did not recommend the postponement of the summits.

Pagasa deputy director Nathaniel Servando said "Seniang" is not likely to develop into a super typhoon based on its present speed.

Servando also said that based on Pagasa’s five-day forecast, there is no need to cancel classes on Monday in any part of the country as "Seniang" is expected to be over the South China Sea by that time.

However, he said Albay residents should remain vigilant as "Seniang" is expected to bring rains to the area and cause lahar flows.

In its 5 p.m. bulletin yesterday, Pagasa said "Seniang" was spotted over Tacloban City, packing winds of 120 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 150 kph. It was moving west-northwest at 22 kph.

Pagasa raised storm signal no. 3 (100 to 185 kph winds) over Masbate, Romblon, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Western Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, northern Cebu, northern Negros, northern Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, and Biliran and Dinagat islands.

Signal no. 2 (60 to 100 kph winds) was raised over Sorsogon, Albay, the Mindoro provinces, the rest of Iloilo, Antique, the rest of Negros, Guimaras, the rest of Cebu, Bohol, Calamian Group, and the islands of Burias, Cuyo and Siargao.

Signal no. 1 (30 to 60 kph winds) was hoisted over Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Marinduque, Siquijor, northern Palawan, Surigao del Norte, and Camiguin island.

Pagasa predicted "Seniang" to be 50 kms southeast of Coron, Palawan this afternoon and 310 kms west of Coron, Palawan by Monday afternoon. By Tuesday afternoon it will be over the South China Sea.

"Seniang" is the 19th weather disturbance to hit the country this year.

Meanwhile, thousands of people living around Mayon Volcano in Albay were evacuated yesterday amid fears that "Seniang" could trigger fresh mudslides, officials said.

Last week, super typhoon "Reming" brought heavy rains and strong winds to Bicol, triggering avalanches of volcanic debris from the slopes of Mayon and burying entire villages, leaving over 1,200 dead or missing.

Tens of thousands remain homeless and are living in crowded evacuation camps in the area, while others have returned to a moonscape of rock and debris where their villages once stood to retrieve belongings from the mud.

"We have evacuated some 15,000 people from 12 barangays. These are the very vulnerable places because of the strong rains caused by the new typhoon," Albay Gov. Fernando Gonzales said.

"We don’t want to take any more chances," he said, adding that those evacuated were being taken to temporary "holding areas" where their respective mayors could supervise a quick emergency escape in case of fresh mudflows.

In nearby Daraga town, on the foot of Mayon Volcano, people were being boarded onto trucks to be moved out.

"These villages are already surrounded by water and in case of flash floods they will have no place to go. So we are putting them in a holding area and after the storm they will be returned to their houses," Daraga Mayor Gerry Jaucian said.

He said there was a greater danger of flashfloods because a nearby river was already silted up from deposits washed down by the last typhoon.

Jaucian warned that "there are still a lot of deposits on Mayon Volcano," which could again form deadly mudslides if another typhoon hits.

Surprise visit

President Arroyo made an unannounced visit yesterday to the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) office at Camp Aguinaldo to assess the potential hazard posed by typhoon "Seniang."

As acting defense secretary, Mrs. Arroyo automatically becomes the NDCC chairwoman, whose principal function is to direct government response to any man-made or natural calamity.

Pagasa’s chief weather forecaster, Nathaniel Cruz, briefed the President as she stayed at the NDCC office for almost one hour.

Cruz said Mrs. Arroyo also took the time to call and issue instructions to governors of provinces that would be affected by "Seniang."

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, who was also at the NDCC yesterday, held a closed-door meeting with concerned heads of government agencies after the President left Camp Aguinaldo.

Cruz said their main concern now is the safety of tourists vacationing in Boracay as "Seniang" is also projected to hit the island tomorrow. Forecasters warned there could be storm surges or big waves that could hit the island.

In Cebu, Thai Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsongkram said his government donated 1,000 sacks of rice for the typhoon victims.

Japan said it will offer aid of up to $1 million to mudslide victims. The Japanese aid comes on top of 20 million yen or $172,000 in emergency supplies, including tents, blankets, and other emergency goods, to survivors.

"Seniang" had prompted the postponement of next week’s Southeast Asian and East Asian summits in Cebu, organizers said. However, sources said the threat of a terror attack may have also played a part in the postponement.

Philippine National Police spokesman Chief Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao said police officers sent from Manila to help provide security for the summits will be gradually returned to the Philippine capital but those from other parts of the region will remain in Cebu in case they are needed for any disaster relief operations following the latest typhoon.

At the same time, linemen from Leyte are helping Albay Electric Cooperative personnel repair electric posts and connections damaged by super typhoon "Reming."

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, who was in Tabaco City yesterday morning to inspect school buildings damaged by "Reming," said P18 million has been earmarked for the repair of damaged school buildings in Albay.

He said public schools in affected areas will resume classes on Jan. 7 next year, depending on the extent of the damage.

On the other hand, the Philippine Coast Guard banned all types of vessels from traversing the waters off five provinces that Pagasa placed under storm signal no. 3.

In a statement, the Coast Guard said the ban was imposed on the provinces of Masbate, Samar, Leyte, northern Cebu and Biliran island.

Only vessels with 2,000 gross tonnage and below were prohibited from traveling to areas under storm signal no. 2.

The Coast Guard banned vessels with 1,000 gross tonnage and below from going to areas under storm signal no. 1.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has released P16 million worth of food and other commodities for the victims of super typhoon "Reming" in the Bicol region.

"We continue to receive international humanitarian assistance from countries such as Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore. Hence, there is enough supply of relief goods to meet the needs of the more than three million persons or more than 500,000 families affected by the typhoon," DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral said.

Cabral said the 13-man Quick Response Team consisting of social workers from the DSWD Central Office, National Capital Region, DSWD-Field Offices III and VIII has been mobilized in the Bicol region to assist regional and local social workers in disaster operations and in conducting critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) sessions for survivors and bereaved families.

Cabral also said the Alliance of Network for Assistance to Strandees (ANGKAS) in the affected areas was activated to provide food and other basic needs to passengers stranded at various ports.

The Coast Guard reported that a total of 899 people were stranded in Sorsogon, mostly in Matnog town.

In the Central Visayas areas, the Coast Guard said 1,012 people were affected by the typhoon, 307 of whom were stranded in Catbalogan, Samar.

Cabral said from the 662 evacuation centers opened at the height of typhoon "Reming," there are now 486 remaining evacuation centers providing temporary shelter to 18,563 families or 89,863 people.

The evacuation centers are in Laguna, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, and Sorsogon.

Reports from the Regional Health Units of the Department of Health and the Office of Civil Defense showed that there are 3,542 recorded casualties. Of this figure, 635 are dead, 2,143 injured and 764 persons missing.

The NDCC also recorded 343,355 houses in Regions IV-A, IV-B, and V that were damaged due to flash floods and mudslides. Of this figure, 143,395 were destroyed, while 199,960 were partially damaged. — Jaime Laude, Celso Amo, Evelyn Macairan, AFP, AP