Typhoon ‘Lando’ makes U-turn, lashes Palawan

Tropical storm “Lando” (international name Hagibis) reentered the Philippines yesterday, threatening Palawan and southern Luzon provinces, weather forecasters said.

As a new wave of devastation looms with Lando’s return, disaster officials spoke of ravages inflicted by typhoon “Mina” (international name Mitag) on northeastern Luzon, particularly Isabela. Mina killed at least eight people in the Bicol region.

Mina roared into the coastal town of Palanan in Isabela late Sunday, its sustained winds weakening but remaining dangerous at 120 kilometers per hour with gusts of up to 150 kph, Nathaniel Cruz, chief forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

The typhoon flooded at least 50 villages in Isabela, a province of more than a million people. A swollen river in the provincial capital Ilagan swept away at least 10 houses late Sunday and knocked off power in most of the province.

The devastation prompted the communist New People’s Army to declare an indefinite ceasefire in affected areas to give way to relief and rescue operations. The military offensive against rebel groups has been suspended since Saturday.

The ceasefire, an NPA statement said, “was a matter of policy, whether or not the government and its armed forces issue a similar declaration.”

Meanwhile, two villagers drowned Sunday in nearby Cagayan valley where strong winds toppled trees and knocked down power posts. Gov. Alvaro Antonio said the province’s rice industry suffered heavily.

“We were just one or two weeks away from harvest time. I’m afraid we’ve lost everything to the flood and strong winds,” Antonio said.

“I’ve never experienced a typhoon this strong. My house shuddered because of the strong winds and I thought it would crumble,” said Janet Castillo, 26, a mother of three from Solana, Cagayan.

In Rizal, Cagayan, a woman was missing after she was swept away by strong river currents yesterday.

In Ilocos Norte, a landslide covered a road in the resort town of Pagudpud, blocking buses and cars but apparently causing no injuries. Troops were deployed to clear the road, army Maj. Gen. Melchor Dilodilo said.

Classes were suspended in several provinces, partly because some classrooms were used to shelter evacuees, officials said.

In Pangasinan, two firemen in Sta. Maria died of electrocution while they were installing a television antenna near the fire station at the height of the typhoon. Fire Officer 1 Allan Wendell Bautista and FO2 Edwin Gonzales died instantly when they accidentally touched a high-tension wire.

The eight officially listed as dead included five who drowned and another who was electrocuted over the weekend in Camarines Sur province, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said.

In Conner town in Apayao, Felipe and Reiner Abawag went missing after the swollen Conner River swept away their house yesterday morning, the Office of Civil Defense in the Cordillera said.

Mina has been the most erratic of the 13 typhoons and major storms that have hit the Philippines this year. It first headed for the populous Bicol region, where more than 250,000 people were evacuated, but shifted Saturday to the north.

Pagasa director Prisco Nilo earlier said Mina pulled Lando back to the country while the storm was on its way to Vietnam. He said the weather phenomenon is called the “Fujiwara effect.”

Nilo said this phenomenon happens when a stronger storm directs the movement of a weaker storm.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, Lando continued to move east-northeast towards northern Palawan-Mindoro area.

It was last spotted at 300 kilometers west-northwest of Puerto Princesa City, packing winds of 75 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph. It was forecast to move east-northeast at 15 kph.

Storm signal no. 2 was hoisted over northern Palawan and Calamian Group of Islands.

Signal no. 1 was up in Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Lubang Island, Romblon, the rest of Palawan and Cuyo Island.

Lando is forecast to be at 140 kms west-northwest of Coron, Palawan this afternoon; 60 kms north of Alabat, Quezon tomorrow afternoon; and at 210 kms east of Casiguran, Aurora tomorrow afternoon.   

Meanwhile, as of 4 p.m. yesterday, Mina was spotted at 100 kms north of Laoag City, packing winds of 110 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 140 kph. It was forecast to move north-northeast at 11 kph.

Pagasa raised public storm warning signal no. 3 over Cagayan, Kalinga, Apayao, Abra, Ilocos Norte, Babuyan Group of Islands, and the Batanes Group of Islands.

Signal no. 2 was up in Isabela, Ifugao, Mt. Province, Benguet, La Union, and Ilocos Sur.

Signal no. 1 was hoisted over Aurora, Quirino, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Tarlac and Pangasinan.

Meanwhile, Senate President Manuel Villar filed Senate Bill 1916 seeking to modernize Pagasa.

“We have more reasons to modernize because our country is considered a typhoon belt, aside from the fact that we are an agriculture country,” Villar said.

“It is highly imperative that we contemplate farmers’ welfare by giving them accurate weather information for their own protection,” he said in his explanatory note on the proposed measure.

Ready for Lando

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said it is prepared for a new onslaught of Lando.

“We are as ready as we can be,” NDCC’s Office of Civil Defense chief Anthony Golez told a news conference at Camp Aguinaldo.

He said that all regional and provincial disaster units in areas in Lando’s path, especially Palawan, Mindoro, Quezon and Bicol, are on full disaster alert. Relief goods and medical supplies have been “pre-positioned” in critical areas ahead of Lando’s expected landfall, said Golez.

From Palawan, “Lando would be passing Mindoro Island, the southern portion of Quezon province and Camarines Norte,” Department of Science and Technology Undersecretary Graciano Yumul said.

Malampaya Plant officials also assured NDCC of its readiness in the face of Lando’s reentry.

Yumul said Lando will be over the Philippine Sea by Thursday, where it will merge with another tropical depression Nonoy.

NDCC placed the damage left by Lando and Mina to agriculture and infrastructure at P109.6 million.

Yumul said the typhoon knocked off the services of mobile phone provider Smart in Palanan, Isabela, and in Diapigue, Aurora, he said.

Mina and Lando affected a total of 88,317 families or 399,033 persons from 827 barangays in Northern and Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and Bicol region, according to NDCC.

There are still 30,844 evacuees in evacuation centers, the NDCC reported.

Duque has extended to Nov. 30 the DOH measles immunization campaign to reach out to those displaced by Lando and Mina. – Eva Visperas, Cet Dematera, Edu Punay, Cesar Ramirez, Charlie Lagasca, Jun Elias, Sheila Crisostomo, Manny Galvez, Christina Mendez, Jaime Laude, AP