Quake areas batten down hatches for monster howler

MANILA, Philippines - Survivors of last month’s deadly earthquake in Bohol fled their tent shelters as mass evacuation got under way ahead of a monster typhoon expected to strike the country today.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) also warned that Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) has continued to intensify as the highest storm signal was raised over five areas in the Visayas yesterday.

The cyclone was hewing close to Guiuan, Eastern Samar and Abuyog in Leyte.

State weather forecaster Glaiza Escullar said Yolanda, which was advancing with a giant, 600-kilometer front, was expected to hit areas still recovering from the 7.2 magnitude quake last month.

They include the island province of Bohol, epicenter of the Oct. 15 earthquake that killed more than 200 persons, where a local official said at least 5,000 people were still living in tents and makeshift shelters while waiting for new homes.

Bohol Gov. Edgardo Chatto said soldiers, police and rescue units were helping displaced residents, including thousands still in small tents after the earthquake, to move to safer ground.

The typhoon was not forecast to directly hit Bohol but the province was still expected to be lashed by strong winds and rain.

Army troops were helping transport food packs and other relief goods in far-flung communities and rescue helicopters were on standby, the military said.

“My worst fear is that the eye of this typhoon will hit us. I hope we will be spared,” Chatto said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) added local officials had ordered evacuation and class suspensions in low-lying and landslide-prone areas in northern Mindanao.

These include Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan, where flashfloods induced by Tropical Storm Sendong killed more than 1,000 people in December 2011.

Escullar, however, said Yolanda was likely to spare Mindanao’s southeast, where Typhoon Pablo left about 2,000 people dead or missing in December last year.

Authorities warned Yolanda, with wind gusts exceeding 330 kilometers per hour, could cause major damage across a vast area of the Visayas and Mindanao when it makes landfall between 5 to 6 a.m. today.

“This is a very dangerous typhoon, local officials know where the vulnerable areas are and have given instructions on evacuations,” Escullar said.

“There are not too many mountains in its path to deflect the force of impact, making it more dangerous,” she said.

PAGASA weather forecaster Aldzar Aurelio said Yolanda – the strongest typhoon to enter the country so far this year – was forecast to make landfall between Guiuan and Abuyog between 5 and 6 a.m. today.

“The typhoon’s scope is as big as the entire Visayas region,” Aurelio said.

Some of the country’s most popular islands for tourists, including world-famous Boracay and Bohol, are in the typhoon’s path.

PAGASA also raised storm signal no. 3 over northern Samar, Masbate, northern Cebu, including Cebu City and Bantayan Island, Siargao Island and Dinagat province.

Signal no. 2 was hoisted over Romblon, Sorsogon, Albay, Burias Island, Bohol, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Aklan, Capiz, Antique, the rest of Cebu, Iloilo, Guimaras, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Agusan del Norte.

Under signal no. 1 were Metro Manila, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Mindoro provinces, Marinduque, northern Palawan including Calamian Group of Islands and southern Quezon, Siquijor, Misamis Oriental and Agusan del Sur.

As of 4 p.m., the eye of the typhoon was spotted at 543 kilometers southeast of Guiuan with maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour (kph) near center and gustiness of up to 250 kph.

It was forecast to move west northwest at 33 kph.

PAGASA weather forecaster Jori Loiz said Yolanda accelerated from 30 kph at 11 a.m. to 33 kph at 4 p.m.

PAGASA said areas within Yolanda’s 600-kilometer radius could expect heavy to intense rain from 10 to 30 millimeters per hour.

Lessen the impact

Local officials in areas along the path of Yolanda had ordered the evacuation of residents in high risk areas as well as the suspension of classes today as preemptive measures.

Among the provinces and areas that could be affected by the typhoon are Camarines Sur, Compostela Valley, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Butuan City, Agusan del Norte; Kawit, Cavite; Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Cebu: Sorsogon City, Bicol region; and Tagum City in Davao del Norte.

Classes and work are also suspended in Romblon, Catbalogan City, Samar and Surigao del Norte, except for those directly involved in disaster response.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) ordered the suspension of sea travel in the areas placed under storm signals.

The PPA also ordered the suspension of operations of 16 seaports in the region.

The PCG reported 1,541 passengers were left stranded in seaports in the Visayas and Bicol regions.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) ordered preparations and contingency plans for flight operations to be affected by the typhoon.

Food outlets in four terminals were also alerted to extend operations in case passengers get stranded due to possible traffic buildup in the airport vicinity in case of flooded roads.

Tigerair Philippines yesterday announced the cancellation of all its domestic flights and its Kalibo-Singapore international flight today due to the incoming storm.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board ordered the suspension of trips of some 643 provincial buses taking the RoRo (roll on, roll off) ferry going to the Visayas and Mindanao.

President Aquino directed the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Education and local governments to take the necessary steps to save lives aside from evacuating people.

Addressing the nation in a statement last night, Aquino warned that Yolanda would be worse than Pablo that struck eastern Mindanao and left thousands dead last year.

“We are praying that with its speed, the super typhoon would not stop at one place and cause much devastation,” he said.

Aquino said he spoke with experts from the Department of Science and Technology as well as the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to determine how the government would deal with such a monster typhoon.

Aquino told a briefing last night that he ordered Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, who were already in Leyte, to lead preparations for the super storm.

Aquino said all disaster risk reduction and management councils in the region are ready.

He said the NDRRMC had already taken the initiative to coordinate all efforts to lessen the impact of the typhoon in areas placed under storm signal.

Aquino advised the public to check the websites of PAGASA and the MGB to find how affected the areas were.

Aquino added three C-130 cargo planes had been readied to respond with 32 airplanes and helicopters on standby for rescue operations.

He said 20 ships from the Philippine Navy were also positioned in Cebu, Bicol, Cavite, and Zamboanga.

Aquino called on the public to help lessen the impact of the monster storm.

In a press briefing earlier, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the President wanted the government to attain its unchanging goal of zero casualty during calamities such as the incoming typhoon.

“Maybe if we adopt a mindset that no one should die or get hurt, we will be focused on fulfilling that goal,” Coloma said.

Coloma appealed to the affected residents to voluntarily evacuate and heed the call of authorities as regards safety measures to avoid casualties.

“To those living in areas where preemptive evacuation is being implemented, let us not wait for grave danger before we act,” he said.

Delaying evacuation may put the lives of people at risk, including citizen volunteers involved in search and rescue operations.

“Based on our past experiences, our learning curve is faster and we hope that government agencies and local disaster risk reduction and management councils are now more prepared. We hope for cooperation of the people if we want to avoid disaster,” Coloma said.

“We will recall that in the last major typhoon experience, super typhoon Pablo, there was early warning that was issued to areas expected to be hit by the calamity. Regrettably, actual landfall happened in two provinces, namely Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley that may have been the least prepared considering that the last typhoon they experienced was about a century ago,” Coloma said.

He said the administration had learned from this and would like to implement preemptive evacuation even in areas that would not be directly hit, based on current projections, because that was what happened also during Sendong that hit Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities.

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma called on fellow bishops to instruct the priests in their dioceses to read the Oratio Imperata or obligatory prayers. – Helen Flores, Aurea Calica, Jaime Laude, Non Alquitran, Mike Frialde, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Evelyn Macairan, Reinir Padua, Michelle Zoleta, Sheila Crisostomo, Laurence Agcaoili, Lalaine Jimenez, Juancho Mahusay, Ben Serrano, Rudy Santos, Francis Elevado, Danny Dangcalan, Edith Regalado, Rey Galupo, Ed Amoroso , AP