‘Isang’ batters Northern Luzon

Typhoon "Isang," packing winds of up to 150 kilometers per hour, approached the northernmost tip of Luzon enroute to Batanes, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) announced yesterday.

As Isang closed in on Northern Luzon, the National Power Corp. (Napocor) was forced to open the spillway of Binga Dam late yesterday afternoon.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) at Camp Agui-naldo warned that the water released from the dam will likely increase the level of the Agno River.

OCD chief for operations Franklin Castillo alerted residents living near the Agno River to take the necessary precautions and monitor public announcements over radio .

The opening of the Binga spillway will likely cause flooding in seven towns and one city in Pangasinan: the towns of Sta. Barbara, San Nicolas, San Manuel, Sta. Maria, Tayug, Umingan, Calasiao and San Carlos City.

Isang (international codename "Toraji") was charted about 375 kilometers southeast of Aparri, Cagayan, moving northwest at 13 kilometers per hour, said the weather agency.

The typhoon was likely to gain strength over the next day, the weather agency said, adding that Isang would skirt Cagayan and might hit the Batanes islands by Sunday evening.

Storm Signal No. 3 is in effect over the Batanes islands and the northeastern side of Cagayan while Storm Signal No. 2 is in effect over the rest of Cagayan and Isabela.