MANILA, Philippines — State weather bureau PAGASA said tropical depression Ester exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) at 5 a.m. on Sunday, but some areas of the country are still expected to experience monsoon rains.
In a 5 a.m. press briefing on Sunday, DOST-PAGASA Weather Specialist Benison Estareja noted that areas of the country will still be affected by southwest monsoon rains, specifically areas facing the West Philippine Sea, until Sunday afternoon.
These areas include Pangasinan up to Zambales, Bataan, Metro Manila, Cavite, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, and Palawan.
Estreja added cloudy skies and scattered light to moderate, and at times, heavy rains might also fall on areas in Central Luzon and the Ilocos region, as well as over other areas of the Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and the Bicol region.
Meanwhile, Cordillera region and Cagayan Valley face high chances of rain from Sunday afternoon until evening.
PAGASA will issue its final Tropical Cyclone Bulletin at 11 a.m.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council's latest situational report, tropical depression Ester was last seen approaching the Ryuku islands about to exit PAR moving northward at 20 kilometers per hour.
Meanwhile, it caused flooding across 27 areas in the Bicol and the Western Visayas region.
Ester displaced 377 individuals and affected 2,979, with some of them sheltered across five evacuation centers.
The tropical depression also affected 896 families. The Department of Social Welfare and Development has reportedly distributed 50 family food packs worth P24,200.