3 dead as Gardo enters PAR

MANILA, Philippines — At least three persons, including a three-year-old, died while nine others remain missing after a motorized boat capsized in Lake Buhi in Camarines Sur last Sunday evening, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported.

Although the PCG is not discounting the possibility that strong winds and high waves caused the sinking, the Buhi Police Office believed it was due to overloading as the lake waters were noted to be calm on the eve of Typhoon Gardo’s entry into the Philippine area of responsibility.

Initial information reaching the PCG headquarters showed that an unnamed motorized boat departed Barangay Ipil at 7 p.m. of July 8 and headed toward Barangay San Buena on the other side of the lake in Buhi town.

The boat was carrying 12 passengers – nine adults and three children – who were on their way home after attending a wake in Barangay Ipil, said Senior Insp. Engelbert Toraldo, Buhi police chief.

As of yesterday morning, the Coast Guard District in Camarines Sur reported having recovered two adults and a three-year-old child as search and rescue diver teams continued to look for the remaining missing passengers.

Initial emergency responders dispatched by the police were able to rescue seven passengers.

“We are still focusing our efforts to find the missing six-year-old Jonas Menorca and 12-year-old Joshua Bejerano,” Toraldo said.

He identified the fatalities as three-year-old Gabriel Bejirano; Solidad Siocson, 58, and Liza Siocson Bonsay, 47. They were rushed to the Buhi Community Hospital but a doctor declared them dead on arrival.

Claudio Yucot, Bicol Office of Civil Defense (OCD) director, advised officials to monitor and be prepared for emergencies arising from bad weather conditions due to either the southwest monsoon or Typhoon Gardo (international name Maria).

Although Gardo is not expected to make landfall in the country, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said it would enhance the southwest monsoon in the coming days.

Esperanza Cayanan, weather division chief, said the typhoon is expected to boost monsoon rains in many parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, until Thursday.

She explained that a low-pressure area west of the Philippines prevented the rains from the southwest monsoon from reaching the western section of the country yesterday. The low-pressure area, she added, was forecast to dissipate within the next 24 hours.

“Based on our forecast, as the typhoon moves north, it will start to bring moderate to occasionally heavy rains, and once it’s over north of Taiwan we can expect more intense rains,” Cayanan said at a press conference yesterday.

Monsoon rains are expected over the region of Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) and Western Visayas beginning today.

Metro Manila, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Bicol region, Zambales, Bataan and Aurora, meanwhile, will experience occasional rains.

Cayanan also said that beginning tomorrow, most of Luzon will be affected by monsoon rains.

As of 3 p.m. yesterday, the eye of Gardo was located at 1,020 kilometers east northeast of Basco, Batanes and packing winds of 185 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 225 kph.

Gardo was forecast to move west northwest at 30 kph.

Cayanan said Gardo was not expected to reach the super typhoon category based on PAGASA standard, explaining that the cold wind off Taiwan area would not be favorable for the cyclone’s intensification.

PAGASA uses 10-minute average readings for a cyclone’s wind speed, while the US-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) uses one-minute average.

The JTWC had categorized Gardo, which is expected to exit the country tomorrow, as a super typhoon since last week.

PAGASA also said all major dams in Luzon are below spilling levels. – With Celso Amo, Helen Flores, Michael Punongbayan