Domeng exits; rains to persist

MANILA, Philippines — Even as Tropical Storm Domeng is expected to leave the country today, rains will continue to affect Luzon and Western Visayas, including Metro Manila, until tomorrow.

Domeng (international name: Maliksi) will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon, which will bring rains over Luzon and Western Visayas for the next two days, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical?Services Administration (Pagasa) said yesterday.

“Rainshowers are still expected (today) but the downpour will gradually lessen until (tomorrow). Domeng will intensify this morning and will become a typhoon while in the southern islands of Japan in the Okinawa region,” said PAGASA weather specialist Nikos Peñaranda.

PAGASA said monsoon rains will also be experienced over Metro Manila.

“Light to strong winds blowing from the southwest will prevail and the coastal waters will be moderate to rough while rough to very rough seas (will occur) over Zambales, Bataan and Batangas,” said Peñaranda.

Peñaranda yesterday said Domeng has intensified slightly as it moved in a northeastward direction.

At 4 p.m. yesterday, the center of Domeng was estimated at 640 kilometers east northeast of Basco, Batanes.

With maximum sustained winds of 90 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 115 kph, it is forecast to move north northeast at 27 kph.

Residents in affected areas are advised to take appropriate action against possible flash floods and landslides and coordinate with their local disaster risk reduction management offices.

PAGASA also warned that sea travel is risky over the eastern seaboard of Northern Luzon and the western seaboard of Southern Luzon and Central Luzon.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) rescued 44 people on board a motorized boat, which had sunk after it was hit by wooden debris from its own outrigger that was destroyed by big waves caused by Domeng in Dinagat Island. 

PCG said its sub-station in Roxas in Dinagat Island rescued the 38 passengers and six crewmen of M/B Danrev Express last Friday morning. 

PCG meanwhile reported that as of 8 a.m. yesterday, 77 people at Legazpi Port in Albay were stranded because of the unfavorable weather condition brought about by Domeng.

Also in Albay, disaster risk reduction management officials are warning residents at the foot of Mayon Volcano and nearby river channels against the possible onslaught of lahar due to the onset of the rainy season.

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), in its latest bulletin, reminded residents to avoid “active river channels and those perennially identified as lahar prone areas in the southern and eastern sectors during bad weather conditions or when there is heavy and prolonged rainfall.”

Ed Laguerta, Phivolcs resident volcanologist, said residents must be on constant alert against lahar flows, saying these sediments could take new directions after some old channels were already silted by the recently ejected volcanic materials.

As this developed, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported yesterday that overflowing river channels, flash floods, collapsed dikes,  suspension of classes and an airport landing mishap were reported to have occurred in three Domeng-affected regions.

The Domeng-related incidents occurred in Region 4A (CALABARZON), Region 4B (MIMAROPA) and Region 13 (CARAGA), said NDRRMC executive director and Office of Civil Defense administrator Ricardo Jalad, adding that classes were suspended last Friday and yesterday in the three regions as well as in Central Visayas and two towns in Rizal province.

But Jalad said the floods in 34 barangays in the National Capital Region the other day have subsided.

Major thoroughfares were flooded due to heavy rains brought by Domeng yesterday, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) in its official Twitter account.

In preparation for floods, the Southern Police District has identified five evacuation centers in Makati City as the MMDA is coordinating with local government units in identifying flood-prone areas in the metropolis.

For its part, Cebu Pacific yesterday cancelled some of its flights between Manila and Busuanga in Palawan. The cancellation was due to an incident involving a SkyJet Airlines plane that led to the closure of the runway at Francisco Reyes Airport.

Two of 80 SkyJet passengers were wounded when their plane overshot the runway shortly after touching down during stormy weather last Friday afternoon. – With Evelyn Macairan, Rudy Santos, Cet Dematera,  Jaime Laude, Ben Serrano, Robertzon Ramirez