MANILA, Philippines - Typhoon Ruby shut down Metro Manila as millions of people hunkered down for the storm, which began lashing Batangas last night.
Work in government offices and classes in all levels were suspended, private office workers were told to stay home, the stock market was closed, banks and commercial establishments closed early, dozens of commercial flights were cancelled and operations of the Metro Rail Transit were cut short.
Late Sunday night, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. ordered the suspension of work in government offices except in agencies involved in the delivery of vital public services, and the suspension of classes in Metro Manila and Regions 4-A and 4-B.
“For the private sector, discretion to suspend work lies with the individual companies and employers. We urge employers to consider the circumstances of their employees brought about by the effects of Typhoon Ruby,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.
In a statement, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the national government would “continue to work with local governments toward a quick assessment of the condition of the areas hit by the typhoon to effectively allocate resources to help the communities that need it most.”
Classes still suspended
Classes in all levels in Metro Manila and nearby provinces in Southern Luzon remained suspended today in anticipation of the bad weather.
As of 3 p.m. yesterday, classes in all levels in the provinces of Cavite, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon were also suspended.
The University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna has suspended classes and the scheduled examinations today.
An official list released by the Department of Education yesterday afternoon showed that no class suspension in Visayas and Mindanao has been declared.
However, the UP Visayas-Tacloban earlier said classes will remain suspended until today.
Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada said work of city hall employees, policemen and members of the fire and engineering department, would also remain suspended.
“We are on 24-hour alert for floods and storm surges... it’s the flooding that we are worried about,” Estrada told AFP.
Evacuation efforts
Evacuation efforts in Metro Manila went into full swing as the state weather bureau warned of heavy rains last night.
Vice Mayor Isko Moreno said they started pre-emptive evacuation since Sunday night and about 5,000 families in danger zones have been brought to five evacuation centers in Tondo.
The Quezon City government ordered the forced evacuation of families in flood-prone and landslide-risk areas.
Elmo San Diego, chief of the city’s Department of Public Order and Safety, said 5,000 families were evacuated hours before Ruby was expected to batter Metro Manila.
Residents of Barangays Bagong Silangan, Batasan Hills, Katipunan, Commonwealth, Payatas, Dona Imelda, West Riverside and Tatalon were among those evacuated.
Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista said classes would remain suspended because some schools were used as evacuation centers.
Caloocan Mayor Oscar Malapitan activated more than 7,000 rescue personnel to evacuate residents in danger areas.
At least 6,000 volunteers from 188 barangays were mobilized complete with lifeboats and rescue equipment that were pre-positioned in Barangays 160 and 164 near the Tullahan River.
Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian and Malabon Mayor Antolin Oreta III also dispatched their respective rescue units near Tullahan River.
In Marikina City, 454 families or 2,089 families in low-lying areas were brought to five evacuation centers.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said a total of 1,774 evacuees from Parañaque and Muntinlupa are staying in basketball courts and public school buildings as of yesterday afternoon.
Pre-emptive evacuation was also undertaken in the cities of Navotas and those living along creeks in Makati and Pasig.
Informal settlers
The Department of the Interior and Local Government urged all local government units to evacuate informal settler families living along the city’s major waterways.
“We advised metro mayors to take necessary action,” said Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.
The NDRRMC said Estero de Maypajo, Estero de Sunog Apog, Manggahan Floodway, Pasig River, Maricaban Creek, Tullahan River, Tripa de Gallina, and San Juan River were likely to be affected.
Soldiers deployed
The Armed Forces of the Philippines-Joint Task Force National Capital Region (JTF-NCR) has mobilized a battalion of troops to render disaster and humanitarian duties to typhoon victims in Metro Manila.
Brig. Gen. Manuel Gonzales, JTF-NCR commander, said he would deploy at least 480 personnel in critical areas of the metropolis. JTF-NCR is composed of Army, Air Force and Navy personnel.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) activated “Oplan Paghalasa” to provide emergency search and rescue, medical support and other disaster-related operations in priority high-risk areas.
The BFP is helping the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the preparation of relief goods, which are set for distribution in Metro Manila and Regions 4-A and 4-B, at the DSWD National Resource Operations Center in Pasay City.
MRT, LRT lines
Light Rail Transit Authority and Metro Rail Transit line 3 spokesman Hernando Cabrera said the operations of MRT-3 as well as LRT lines 1 and 2 would only be until 8 p.m.
The last train of MRT-3 would leave North Ave. station at 7 p.m. while the last train from Taft Ave. would leave Taft station at 7:45 p.m. The last train of LRT-1 was set to leave Baclaran and Roosevelt stations at 8 p.m. while the last train of LRT-2 would leave Santolan station at 7:30 p.m. and Recto station at 8 p.m.
Operations of the MRT-3 were disrupted several times yesterday due to technical problems.
Cabrera said problems affected the operations of MRT-3 between the Cubao and Santolan stations from 6:30 to 6:54 a.m.; from Ayala Avenue to Magallanes stations from 8:03 to 8:50 a.m.; and Ortigas and Santolan stations from 12:24 to 1:20 in the afternoon.
MRT Holdings spokesman David Narvasa said broken rails were discovered between the Cubao and Santolan stations, between Magallanes and Ayala stations and between the Cubao and Santolan stations.
Congress suspends work
Senate President Franklin Drilon announced the suspension of work in the Senate as early as 7 a.m. yesterday.
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. also suspended session at the House of Representatives, but announced that plenary work will be extended until Friday.
“In view of important measures that have to be considered in plenary beginning tomorrow, please be informed that the House will hold sessions until Friday this week,” House Deputy Secretary General Grace Andres said in a text message to reporters.
The House was supposed act on several key reforms measures in plenary yesterday, including proposed Joint Resolution 21, which seeks to grant President Aquino emergency powers to address the expected power shortage in Luzon in 2015.
Also awaiting final plenary action is the anti-political dynasty bill, the proposed Philippine Fair Competition Act and the P22.7-billion supplementary budget.
Half-day work
In Bulacan, Gov. Wilhelmino Sy Alvarado declared a half-day work in government offices and suspended classes in all levels in both public and private schools.
Residents of the coastal village of Salambao in Obando town were evacuated to the Obando National High School.
Dams’ water elevation
Water elevation in Angat, Bustos and Ipo dams is also being monitored.
As of yesterday morning, Angat Dam water elevation was at 207.68 meters compared to its spilling level of 210 meters; Ipo Dam with its spilling level of 101 meters had 99.59 meters; while Bustos Dam registered 16.45 meters compared to its spilling level of 17.70 meters. –With Marvin Sy, Paolo Romero, Rey Galupo, Jose Rodel Clapano, Janvic Mateo, Non Alquitran, Jaime Laude, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Reinir Padua, Lawrence Agcaoili, Ramon Lazaro