7 dead as merged storms threaten RP

Seven people have died and tens of thousands evacuated from their homes as typhoon “Mina” (international name Mitag) approaches the northern Philippines, the National Disaster Coordinating Council reported yesterday.

Apart from Mina, which is expected to make landfall in Isabela province before dawn today, two other weather disturbances will hit the country in the next three days.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said super typhoon Mina has weakened but remains in the Philippine area of responsibility.

Pagasa director Prisco Nilo said typhoon Mina, which is moving toward the northeastern provinces of Aurora and Isabela, “influenced” the movement of tropical storm “Lando” (international name Hagibis), causing it to re-enter the country today after it ripped through the country last week.

Lando is expected to make landfall either today or tomorrow in Palawan.

The third weather disturbance, tropical depression “Nonoy” which has been monitored in the Pacific Ocean, is expected to enter the Philippine area by Thursday.

During a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo yesterday afternoon, Nilo said Nonoy would hover over the Philippine Sea, where it could meet and merge with Lando.

Six people drowned and one was electrocuted by a fallen power line in the Camarines provinces where the initial effects of Mina were felt.

Nilo said the two storms will likely head to Japan and are not expected to hit land, but could still trigger rains in the eastern seaboard.

Tropical storm Lando made a u-turn back into the central provinces or a weather phenomenon called the “Fujiwara effect” after it was pulled by typhoon Mina.

Nilo said: “Fujiwara effect takes place when a storm with stronger winds influences the direction of a nearby storm with weaker winds. There was an interaction between the two storms, Mina and Lando.”

Mina packs maximum sustained winds of 160 kilometers per hour near the center while Lando, which was headed for Vietnam before it turned back, has maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour near the center, Nilo said.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the eye of Mina was spotted at 180 kilometers north-northwest of Virac, Catanduanes or at 180 kms east-southeast of Casiguran, Aurora, with  gustiness of up to 195 kph.

Public storm warning signal no. 3 was hoisted over Isabela, Cagayan, Apayao, Kalinga, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora and Polillo Island.

Signal no. 2 was raised over Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, northern Quezon, Nueva Ecija, Benguet, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Abra, and Babuyan Group of Islands while signal no. 1 was up in Albay, Camarines Sur, the rest of Quezon, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Pangasinan and Batanes Group of Islands.

Mina is expected to be at 50 kms west of Tuguegarao City this afternoon; 80 kms northwest of Laoag City tomorrow afternoon; and at 240 kms north-northwest of Laoag City or at 230 kms west of Basco, Batanes by Wednesday afternoon.

Mina made a turn toward Aurora and Isabela last Saturday after veering away from the Bicol region.

Pagasa said moderate to heavy rains are expected over northern Luzon today. Metro Manila will have cloudy skies and rainshowers starting today until tomorrow.

Pagasa warned residents in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes under public storm warning signals against possible flash floods, mudslides and landslides.

Likewise, those living in coastal areas are advised to be alert for big waves or storm surges generated by this tropical cyclone.

Preventive evacuation

NDCC Executive Director Glen Rabonza said President Arroyo has ordered preemptive and  pro-active measures in areas that will be hit by the storms.

Rabonza said the government has mobilized the NDCC, Department of Health, Department of Education, Department of Agriculture, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine National Red Cross and local government units to ensure the safety and welfare of the residents.

“We will evacuate those at risk from storm surges and flash floods. These typhoons are moving slow. They will be dumping a lot of rains,” Rabonza said.

“The preventive evacuation (in the north) is ongoing. It will continue until before the storm  hits,” NDCC spokesman Anthony Golez said.

The civil defense office in Manila said at least 298,000 people had evacuated their homes in six provinces to avoid possible flash floods, landslides or volcanic mudslides.

At least 74 families have been evacuated to safer ground in Isabela’s coastal Dinapigue town in anticipation of tropical storm Mina.

Cagayan Valley police director Chief Superintendent Ameto Tolentino yesterday said they are increasing their efforts in Dinapigue town, which is feared to be hit hard by the latest typhoon.

Meantime, authorities of the Magat Dam in Ramon, Isabela have already opened two of the dam’s six floodgates for it to release rain waters to prevent the dam from being damaged as well as to avoid  possible heavy flooding in low lying towns of the province.

Tolentino, also the chairman of the regional disaster development council, said they are closely monitoring the situation of Dinapigue and other coastal towns in the region and urged the continued evacuation of town residents to higher grounds to make sure they are already secured before the so-called super typhoon could unleash its fury.

Tolentino said that he also ordered all the region’s provincial police offices to be on high alert for possible flooding, landslides, mudslides and other incidents as a result of the typhoon, including crime activities that may take place if lawless elements take advantage of the situation.

As of press time, Isabela provincial administrator Paul Fernandez said that at least 1,000 residents have already been evacuated to safer ground in Dinapigue as evacuation and relief operations are also being readied in other flood and landslide-prone towns of the province.

He said water, land and air disaster vehicles have already been put in place in coordination with the military and the PNP.

In Bulacan, more residents from the 17 barangays of five towns were evacuated to safer grounds after the three spill gates of Angat dam continued to release water from the overflowed giant reservoir located in the mountains of the eastern part of the province.

In his report, Senior Superintendent Allen Bantolo, officer-in-charge of the Bulacan Provincial police office, said that as of Saturday, five meters of water were released from the three spill gates or a total of 893 cubic meters per second.

The released waters from the dam submerged 17 villages in the towns of Baliuag, Bustos, Calumpit, Norzagaray and Pulilan.

The affected villages in these municipalities are located along the banks of the Angat river.

Bantolo said a total of 2,595 families or 13,947 persons have been evacuated to higher ground.

In Baliuag town alone, some 1,178 families or 5,955 persons were taken to various  evacuation centers while in the town of Bustos, where an auxiliary dam of Angat Dam is located, some 1,118 families or 7,302 residents were transferred to higher ground.

Rescue and relief teams remain on alert as the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council continues to monitor the low lying towns of Calumpit and Hagonoy, because the water coming from the upland towns of Baliuag, Bustos, Norzagaray and Pulilan will eventually  descend in the low lying villages of the two municipalities.

‘Calibrated decamping’

In Bicol region, which Mina was earlier forecast to hit, thousands have been sent home.

Only 124,037 of the estimated 250,000 evacuees here remain in government shelters as of 8 a.m. yesterday, of which, 74,356 were in Camarines Sur, 28,326 were in Camarines Norte, while 28,355 are in Catanduanes, said Bernardo Alejandro, the regional director of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

Golez said a “calibrated decamping” was being implemented in Bicol.

“In view of the improving weather condition, the Provincial Disaster Management Office thereby orders the decamping of all evacuees away from lahar prone areas around Mayon Volcano effective immediately,” Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said in his advisory.

Salceda likewise ordered the lifting of the declaration of the state of calamity in the entire province.

Classes are also expected to resume at all levels as Salceda advised school officials to schedule make-up classes in compliance with the required school program of the Department of Education.

Education Undersecretary Ramon Bacani reiterated the policy that when typhoon signal No. 2 or No. 3 is hoisted by Pagasa in a particular area, classes at the elementary and secondary levels are automatically suspended.

Enough supply

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III assured the public of enough supply of medicines to be distributed in evacuation centers.

Duque added that all hospitals in areas affected by the typhoons are in code white, meaning all doctors, nurses and staff will be on alert 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Agriculture Assistant Secretary Doy Lucenario said an estimated P73 million worth of palay, corn, vegetables and fruits were damaged due to continuous heavy rains, floods and landslides.

Of the P73 million, Lucenario said P40 million or .2 percent in total national production were palay, P20 million or .06 percent were corn and P13 million or .04 percent were fruits and vegetables.

But he gave assurance that food supply will not be affected although the prices of vegetables are expected to increase by P5 to P7 per kilo as a result of the damage.  - with Helen Flores, Ric Sapnu, Celso Amo, Charlie Lagasca