‘Life-threatening’ Marce makes Cagayan landfall

MANILA, Philippines —  Typhoon Marce (international name Yinxing) made landfall over Santa Ana in Cagayan yesterday afternoon, uprooting trees and sending building materials flying, weeks after previous storms left at least 150 people dead.

More than 21,000 people across 200 villages in Cagayan were evacuated in the hours before the mid-afternoon landfall, provincial disaster official Rueli Rapsing said.

“There are debris flying all around. Here in Gonzaga, an entire hamburger stand flew off and the winds are ripping open the shop doors at the public market,” Rapsing told AFP by phone from Gonzaga, a town near Santa Ana.

Marce is the third storm in less than a month to threaten the country after Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (Trami) and Super Typhoon Leon (Kong-rey) together left 158 people dead, the national disaster agency said, with most of that tally attributed to Kristine.

Packing maximum sustained wind speeds of 175 kilometers per hour and gusts up to 240 kph, the typhoon struck the coastal town of Santa Ana and nearby areas, unleashing heavy rain and ripping off parts of houses.

Rapsing said the storm had uprooted trees and authorities were trying to confirm reports that the Santa Ana police station had been damaged. No casualties were immediately reported.

In Ilocos Norte, rescuers were on standby to help local police, fire officers and soldiers in emergency response, provincial rescue official Randy Nicolas said.

Nicolas said they are closely monitoring possible landslides, floods and swelling of rivers in the province, with storm surges – huge waves along the coast, also a concern in Ilocos Norte and Cagayan.

Disaster officials in Apayao said almost 500 people have been evacuated. “We really prioritized preemptive evacuations because we want to have zero deaths here in Apayao,” provincial disaster official Aldrin Agmata said.

Life-threatening

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned of “life-threatening” conditions brought about by Marce’s typhoon-force winds, storm surge inundation and torrential rainfall.

Marce made landfall over Santa Ana town and was forecast to make another landfall along the coast of northwestern mainland Cagayan before emerging over the West Philippine Sea by tomorrow early morning.

PAGASA warned of a high risk or life-threatening storm surge with peak surge heights exceeding 3.0 m in areas of Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Isabela, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and La Union.

Tropical cyclone wind signal No. 4 was raised over the northern portion of Cagayan and the northern portion of Apayao.

Signal No. 3 was hoisted over Batanes, the rest of Cagayan, the rest of Apayao, the rest of Ilocos Norte, the northern portion of Abra and the northern portion of Ilocos Sur.

Meanwhile, signal No. 2 was raised over the northern and central portions of Isabela, the rest of Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, the northern portion of Ifugao, the northern portion of Benguet, the rest of Ilocos Sur and the northern portion of La Union.

Signal No. 1 was raised over the rest of La Union, Pangasinan, the rest of Ifugao, the rest of Benguet, the rest of Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, the northern and central portions of Aurora, the northern portion of Nueva Ecija and the northern portion of Zambales.

Marce was forecast to be over the coastal waters of Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte by 2 a.m. today. It could exit the Philippine area of responsibility by this afternoon or evening, and remain as a typhoon.

School has been suspended in many areas of Northern Luzon and President Marcos put all government agencies on high alert so they can swiftly respond.

“Remember, every life is important so we should always be prepared,” Marcos said in a statement on Wednesday.

Evacuations

Some 246 families have been evacuated in several parts of Cagayan Valley as Marce began to bring rains to Northern Luzon.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, in a report yesterday, said that 201 of the families are taking shelter in 14 different evacuation centers.

At least eight families in Barangay Lanao and 97 more in Barangay Payak, both in Bangui town in Ilocos Norte, have been evacuated to safer ground.

Seventeen more families from Barangay Panzian in Pagudpud were also brought to evacuation centers, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said.

Some 899 families were also reported to have been isolated due to a mini landslide in Adams town, it added. Some 350 family food packs, according to the DSWD, will be provided by the Ilocos Norte provincial government.

Preemptive evacuations were conducted in Conner and Pudtol, in Apayao province since yesterday, the DSWD said.

Disaster officials reported yesterday afternoon that the Lacub river began swelling, prompting pre-emptive evacuations in communities by the riverside. A landslide also occurred in Barlig and Besao towns in Mountain Province, but details have not been confirmed.

Marcos thanks Singapore

Marcos yesterday thanked Singapore for helping the Philippines undertake humanitarian efforts in areas devastated by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine and expressed hope that the relationship between the two countries would strengthen further.

Marcos expressed his gratitude through a phone call with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong weeks after Kristine pummeled the Bicol region and other parts of Luzon.

“Just got off the phone with Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lawrence Wong. Their quick response after Severe Tropical Storm Kristine made a real difference for so many of our kababayans in the hardest-hit areas,” the President said in a Facebook post.

“The Philippines sends our heartfelt gratitude and we look forward to deepening our ties and creating even more ways to support each other across the region,” he added.

Flight cancellations

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) announced over 20 domestic flights were canceled due to Marce as of 5 a.m. yesterday.

CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said that typhoon signal No. 2 was felt over Cagayan Valley, as scheduled commercial and local flights were canceled.

Six domestic flights to and from Tuguegarao airport were canceled. At Laoag International Airport some four domestic flights were canceled. Basco Airport canceled two domestic flights.

At Cauayan Airport, non-scheduled flights to Isabel town were canceled. All flights at Palanan Airport are canceled.

Philippine Airlines flights PR2932/2933 Manila-Basco-Manila are canceled. - AFP, Alexis Romero, Michael Punongbayan, Evelyn Macairan, Rudy Santos, Artemio Dumlao, Elizabeth Marcelo