Nando makes landfall; classes still suspended

MANILA, Philippines — Super Typhoon Nando (inter national name Ragasa) battered the Babuyan Islands yesterday before moving toward the West Philippine Sea, with the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Adminis tration (PAGASA) saying the pow erful cyclone is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) this morning

Local governments again sus pended classes today at all levels in public and private schools in much of Metro Manila, with some shifting to alternative learning modes.

Classes were also suspended in Ilocos Sur; Abra and Tuba, Benguet; parts of Cagayan Valley as well as La Union and Pangas inan; parts of Occidental Mindoro, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Rizal.

Packing maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 295 kph, Nando crossed Panuitan Island in Calayan, Cagayan around 3 p.m. on Sunday.

As of 4 p.m., its eye was spotted over the coastal waters of Calayan, still carrying destructive winds extending up to 650 kilometers from the center.

PAGASA raised Signal No. 5 over the Babuyan Islands, the highest alert level, warning of “extreme threats to life and property.”

Signal No. 4 was hoisted over southern Batanes, northern Cagayan and parts of Ilocos Norte, while Signal No. 3 was in effect over central Cagayan, Apayao and the rest of Ilocos Norte. Lower wind signals remained up in portions of Cagayan Valley, Cordillera and the Ilocos region.

Surge, floods feared

Authorities warned of storm surges exceeding three meters along low-lying coastal areas of Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. Gale-force winds and very rough to high seas reaching up to 14 meters also made sea travel risky in Northern Luzon waters.

Even as Nando moved away, its trough and the enhanced southwest monsoon were expected to bring rains and strong winds over Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol, MIMAROPA, the Visayas and parts of Mindanao. PAGASA said heavy rains may trigger flash floods and landslides in vulnerable areas.

The typhoon, currently at peak intensity, is projected to gradually weaken within 24 hours as it moves further into the West Philippine Sea.

Another LPA brewing

Meanwhile, PAGASA said a low-pressure area outside PAR is being monitored. The weather disturbance has a “medium” chance of developing into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours.

Disaster officials advised residents in high-risk areas to remain alert and follow evacuation advisories. “Extreme impacts from typhoon-force winds are possible under Signal No. 5,” PAGASA said in its latest bulletin.

Evacuees

President Marcos yesterday ordered the immediate delivery of food and other provisions for evacuees in areas affected by Nando. Preemptive evacuations have been conducted in vulnerable areas.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and all agencies of the government have been alerted to provide assistance anytime, anywhere, when it is needed,” Marcos said.

The President ordered the Department of Social Welfare and Development and other relevant agencies to step up monitoring and coordination with local officials to address the immediate needs of evacuees.

An estimated 5,000 families were preemptively evacuated, the Office of Civil Defense said yesterday.

OCD spokesperson Junie Castillo said families evacuated are from the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Castillo said the pre-evacuation of around 5,000 families or 14,000 people started as early as Friday.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it assisted 37 families, composed of 80 people in Sta. Catalina, Ilocos Sur.

As of noon yesterday, the PCG reported 77 passengers, truck drivers and cargo helpers stranded in different ports in Southern Tagalog and in Northeastern Luzon.

Also affected were seven vessels and 35 motorized boats, while 21 ships and 11 motorized boats took shelter.

In La Union, a road connecting San Fernando City and the upland town of Bagulin collapsed due to heavy rains yesterday.

“The San Fernando-Bagulin Road, at the crossing of barangays Nagyubuyuban-Parparya near the bridge of Nagyubuyuban, has collapsed and is not passable to all types of vehicles,” disaster officials announced on social media.

San Fernando City Mayor Dong Gualberto advised motorists to use alternate routes via San Fernando-San Juan Road or Bagulin-Naguilian Road.

As of yesterday, the La Union provincial disaster risk reduction and management office has recorded at least 241 affected families evacuated.

In Baguio City, torrential rains and winds shut down almost all major routes to the city yesterday due to landslides and rockslides.

Various road sections along Marcos Highway on the Tuba side were affected by rock and soil slides, even partially burying a black Toyota van, a fuel tanker and two more vehicles passing through the major artery yesterday morning.

No deaths were reported, but nine people were rushed to hospital for injuries from the incident.

The Department of Public Works and Highways advised motorists that Kennon Road and the Asin-Nangalisan-San Pascual Road are shut down because of similar soil and rock slides.

Naguilian Road (Baguio-Naguillan La Union road) remains passable as of yesterday. Marcos Highway is open to motorists, although caution was still advised for possible rock and soil slides along the route.

Canceled flights

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines announced the cancellation of 20 domestic and three international flights yesterday due to unfavorable weather conditions.

Philippine Airlines canceled domestic flights: PR2196/2197 Manila-Laoag-Manila; PR2198/2199 Laoag-Manila-Laoag; 2688/2689 Clark-Basco-Clark; PR2932/2933 Manila-Basco-Manila; and PR2018/2019 Manila-Tuguegarao-Manila.

Cebu Pacific canceled CEB404/405 Manila-Laoag-Manila; CEB504/505 Manila-Tuguegarao-Manila; CEB506/507 Tuguegarao-Manila-Tuguegarao; while sister company Cebgo canceled DG6043/6044 Manila-Busuanga-Manila.

Cebu Pacific also canceled its Manila-Kaohsiung-Manila flights and CEB 310 Manila to Taipei.

DA support for farmers

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has given assurance that assistance is in place to support farmers and fisherfolk who may be affected by Super Typhoon Nando.

The DA said its National and Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management operations centers have been placed on red alert, while advisories have been disseminated to concerned local governments.

In preparation for possible agricultural losses, the department has prepositioned more than 113,000 bags of palay seeds, over 101,000 bags of corn seeds and around 13,000 kilograms of vegetable seeds that can be distributed to affected farmers to allow them to replant immediately after the typhoon.

To help the fisheries sector recover, approximately 1.8 million tilapia and bangus fingerlings have also been prepared, alongside the provision of drugs and biologics for livestock and poultry to mitigate disease risks following the storm.

For food security, the DA has made available more than 2.4 million bags of rice stocks from the National Food Authority for issuance to local governments and relief agencies.

Blackouts

Power outages swept through areas served by 11 electric cooperatives in Luzon, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) said.

The NEA reported yesterday that electric cooperatives in Abra and Batanes experienced total power interruptions caused by the unavailability of transmission lines and a manual shutdown, respectively.

Partial power interruptions, meanwhile, affected consumers in several provinces, including Batangas, Benguet, Cagayan, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Mountain Province and Pangasinan.

The NEA said it was closely monitoring a total of 41 electric cooperatives across 27 provinces in six regions. Restoration efforts are underway for over 350,000 consumer connections.

As of 5 p.m. yesterday, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines said three transmission lines were unavailable. — Helen Flores, Pia Lee-Brago, Jun Elias, Artemio Dumlao, Rudy Santos, Elizabeth Marcelo, Evelyn Macairan, Rhodina Villanueva, Brix Lelis