3 provinces told: Brace for floods

MANILA, Philippines - The weather bureau yesterday warned residents of Bataan, Zambales and Pangasinan to watch out for flashfloods and landslides as typhoon “Kabayan” would continue to dump moderate to heavy rains over these areas in the next 24 hours.

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) supervising undersecretary Graciano Yumul said Kabayan intensified yesterday morning as it moved northward toward Japan.

Yumul said the typhoon could bring 15 to 25 millimeters per hour of rain over most parts of Luzon.

PAGASA said Kabayan is not likely to make landfall in any part of the country.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the center of Kabayan was spotted at 1,030 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora with maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph.

Kabayan is moving northward at 11 kph.

It is expected to be 1,130 kms east of Aparri, Cagayan this morning; 1,090 kms east-northeast of Basco, Batanes tomorrow morning; and 960 kms northeast of Basco or 400 kms southeast of Okinawa, Japan by Tuesday morning.

Kabayan is expected to leave Philippine territory on Wednesday.

Kabayan is the 11th tropical cyclone to enter the country this year and the fifth weather disturbance this month.

‘Juaning’ death toll rises

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported yesterday that the toll from tropical storm “Juaning” had risen to 50 dead, 40 injured, and 26 missing.

NDRRMC and Office Civil Defense (OCD) administration chief Benito Ramos said the storm also damaged an estimated P1.5 billion worth of infrastructure and agricultural products.

Among the 50 fatalities, 14 were from Albay, six from Catanduanes, five from Camarines Sur, seven from Camarines Norte, two from Masbate, and two from Sorsogon, all in the Bicol region; one from Nueva Ecija, two from Cavite, two in Quezon, one in Marinduque, one in Iloilo, one in Siquijor, one from Las Piñas, one from Itogon, Benguet, and four from Aguinaldo, Ifugao.

The victims either drowned, were buried by landslides, hit by falling debris or were electrocuted at the height of the storm last week.

Ramos said ongoing search and recovery operations are still underway for 25 missing people, mostly fishermen from Masbate, Eastern Samar, Romblon, Catanduanes, and Camarines Sur.

He said 86 survivors have been rescued in the Bicol region, Eastern Visayas, Southern Tagalog, and Northern Luzon.

“The cost of damage to infrastructure and agriculture has been estimated at P1.5 billion,” Ramos said, referring to destroyed crops, roads and bridges due to widespread flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains spawned by Juaning.

He said Juaning affected 968,136 residents who were displaced by landslides and flashfloods in Luzon and the Visayas.

Despite advance warning and the ban on small boats, the NDRRMC reported 11 maritime incidents, mostly involving fishermen from Quezon, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Catanduanes, and Iloilo.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that a body of a male was recovered yesterday off Mandaon, Masbate where search and rescue operations continue for 19 fishermen reported missing since July 27.

PCG-Bicol officer-in-charge for operations Romel Mandreza described the victim as 5 feet 8 inches in height, medium-built, with moustache, and wearing white and blue t-shirt and blue short pants.

Mandreza said they had already informed the owner of the capsized fishing vessel FB Hope Christy based in Roxas City to send somebody to identify the cavader.

He said the Coast Guard’s search teams were on board BRP Edsa 2 and BRP Corregidor, backed by a helicopter, that were conducting operations off Masbate and Sibuyan island.

Mandreza identified 14 of the 19 missing through a crew-list or manifest from their place of origin in Roxas City as Nestor de la Cruz, Ronnie Borbon, Joseph Tupas, Ronelo Ganadores, Rosito Ganadores, Hernie Alejandro, Allan Valenzuela, Hernanito Gapasinaw, Hernani Gapasinaw, Emir Francisco, Melchor Francisco, Jimmy Raullo, and Rene Dichosa, all residents of Roxas City.

Lt. Darwin Nieva, spokesman of the Naval Forces for Southern Luzon, said a Navy team was dispatched yesterday to augment the search and rescue efforts for the missing fishermen.

Nieva said the Navy had already dispatched Diesel Fast Craft 338, and a Navy Islander airplane.

Yumul said Juaning would now be removed from the list of names of tropical cyclones due to its huge damage to the country.

Yumul said PAGASA acting administrator Nathaniel Servando has agreed to delete the name Juaning after the storm resulted in the death of at least 50 people and an estimated P1.5 billion worth of damage to agriculture and infrastructure.

“Our rule is if the amount of destruction exceeds P1 billion, we decommission the name,” Yumul said, adding that the weather agency does not want people “to recall the horrors brought by the destructive storms.”

PAGASA removed the name “Bebeng” from its list early this year.

Bebeng lashed parts of the Bicol region, Northern Luzon and the Visayas last May, leaving damage to property estimated at P1.37 billion.

Yumul said the other tropical cyclone names that were recently removed from the list were “Milenyo,” “Reming,” “Ondoy,” and “Pepeng.”

Milenyo and Reming - two of the strongest typhoons that battered the Philippines in 2006 - were replaced by “Mario” and “Ruby,” respectively.

Ondoy dumped an unusual amount of rain in Metro Manila and nearby provinces on Sept. 26, 2009, leaving some P11.1 billion worth of damage to property. It also killed 464 people and affected some 4.9 million families.

Pepeng left 465 people dead and damage to infrastructure and agriculture amounting to P27.2 billion, also in 2009.

PAGASA, an attached agency of the Department of Science and Technology, had already registered the names of storms that would hit the country until 2016. - With Jaime Laude, Cet Dematera, AP