THE state weather bureau on Monday said that the public should expect more rains this week, even as tropical depression Egay moved away from the country, because another approaching weather disturbance is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility on Tuesday.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) in its 10 a.m. weather bulletin said that Egay was located 250 kilometers northwest of Aparri, Cagayan, or 210 kilometers west of Basco, Batanes.
The tropical depression’s strength remained at 55 kilometers per hour with a speed of 17 kph as it headed toward southern China.
As of Monday morning, four areas in northern Luzon remained under Storm Signal No. 1 namely Calayan, Babuyan Group of Islands, Batanes Group of Islands and Ilocos Norte.
Undersecretary Graciano Yumul of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said that the new low pressure (LPA) area was spotted 1,020 kilometers east of southern Visayas, and was expected to intensify into a typhoon as it enters Philippine territory.
The LPA, which will be named Falcon the moment it turns into a tropical depression, will be the 6th weather disturbance for this year and third this month.
Yumul said that although Falcon was not expected to make landfall, it would likely bring more rains along the eastern part of Visayas and Luzon just like Egay.
The DOST official added that more rains are also expected in Metro Manila, other parts of Visayas and Mindanao until weekend because the potential weather disturbance could enhance the southwest monsoon.
Aquino visit
President Benigno Aquino 3rd will visit typhoon-stricken Cotabato City this week, a Palace official said also on Monday.
“I think that [visit] is being worked out. There were instructions, of course to take care of the needs of the people there,” Secretary Ricky Carandang of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office said.
He added that based on Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) records as of 3 p.m. on Sunday, at least 962,591 people from at least 30 barangays (villages) were affected by the floods caused by Egay’s rains
“The relief goods are there already. Everything that we usually do when there is a typhoon is being done right now,” Carandang said.
He added that the government has 40 evacuation centers with about 91,000 people, while five of the evacuation centers have been closed because the occupants have returned to their homes.
The government has spent P12 million for typhoon-related assistance in Cotabato City.
Of the P12 million, P7 million came from the DSWD central office and P1 million from the agency’s office in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Concerned local governments also provided P3.45 million and non-government organizations gave P350,000.
Lily menace
Water lilies have contributed to the misery of than half a million people in Mindanao, officials said also on Monday.
The lilies smothered a section of the 320-kilometer Rio Grande, preventing the water from emptying into the Moro Gulf to the southwest of Mindanao island after strong rains over the past week, authorities said.
The Rio Grande is the longest river in Mindanao, and is the country’s second biggest river system.
“Twenty-three municipalities are already flooded, affecting 559,067 people,” regional social welfare head Pombaen Kader told Agence France-Presse by telephone from Cotabato City.
Water levels started going up in recent days owing to heavy rains, and “the river flooded its banks because water could not pass through thick water lilies”, she said.
Kader added that water had reached rooftops in some places, forcing authorities to evacuate more than 1,000 people.
Many others had refused to leave, despite their homes being partially submerged, she said.
Troops have been struggling to cut through the packed water lilies while battling intermittent rains and strong currents, regional military spokesman Col. Prudencio Asto told AFP.
“We had about 400 to 500 soldiers helping out in the effort. They are trying to cut through the growth using chain saws,” he said.
Asto added that last week, the water lilies covered up to 25 hectares of water.
“The growth was about 10 feet thick in some areas and so tightly packed that they [troops] could walk on top of it,” he said.
“We are racing against time because forecasts of more rains could complicate the situation,” Asto added.
Stranded passengers
Bad weather caused by Egay caused the cancellation of two domestic flights of Cebu Pacific also on Monday.
On its advisory, Cebu Pacific said that flights 5J 893 from Manila to Caticlan, Aklan and 5J 894 from Caticlan to Manila were canceled because of Egay.
“Affected passengers will be accommodated on the next available flights. You may also rebook within 30 days of cancellation or Travel Funds without penalties,” it added.
Egay also caused hundreds of seagoing passengers to be stranded in various ports of the country, the Philippine Coast Guard said also on Monday.
The agency’s public affairs division in its 12 p.m. Monday advisory said that at least 105 passengers were stranded in Northern Luzon.
It added that 87 of 105 passengers were mostly from Aparri while the remaining 18 passengers were from Pasacao, Camarines Sur.
The Philippine Coast Guard advisory added that at least 10 motor bancas were also stranded by the country’s bad weather.
The public could seek assistance through the Philippine Coast Guard hotline 328-1098.
By Jefferson Antiporda, The Manila Times
With Llanesca T. Panti, Mayvelin U. Caraballo, Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz and AFP
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