Kristine gains strength, to hit Northern Luzon

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Storm Kristine was forecast to strengthen before it makes landfall over Northern Luzon tonight or early tomorrow morning, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Kristine could intensify into a severe tropical storm before making landfall over Isabela or northern Aurora by early tomorrow morning.

The cyclone was monitored 390 kilometers east of Daet, Camarines Norte, moving west-northwest at 15 km per hour, with maximum sustained winds of 75 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph.

PAGASA said tropical cyclone wind Signal No. 3 could be the highest signal raised during Kristine’s passage.

Tropical cyclone wind Signal No. 2 has been hoisted over Catanduanes, the eastern portion of Camarines Norte, the eastern portion of Albay and the eastern portion of Sorsogon in Luzon, as well as in the northeastern portion of Northern Samar and the northern portion of Eastern Samar in the Visayas.

Meanwhile, TCWS No. 1 was raised over Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Apayao, Kalinga, Abra, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.

The same wind signal was raised over Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Islands, Oriental Mindoro, Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands, Marinduque, Romblon, the rest of Camarines Norte, the rest of Camarines Sur, the rest of Albay and the rest of Sorsogon.

Stormy conditions due to Kristine are forecast over Bicol Region, Isabela, Aurora and Quezon. Kristine is also bringing rains with gusty winds over Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Eastern Visayas, Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte.

Its trough will bring scattered rains over Zamboanga Peninsula, northern Mindanao, BARMM, Soccsksargen and the rest of the Visayas. The rest of Mindanao may see isolated rains due to the trough.

Kristine was expected to cross northern Luzon and emerge over the waters of Ilocos Region by tomorrow afternoon or evening.

State weather forecasters said that changes in the forecast track is not ruled out. It may slightly weaken as it crosses the mountainous terrain of Luzon but re-intensify and reach typhoon category before exiting the Philippine area of responsibility by Friday.

Bracing for Kristine

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla directed local government units (LGUs) in Luzon on Tuesday to brace for Kristine, which is expected to lash parts of the region later this week.

At a press briefing at Malacañang, Remulla said all LGUs have been mobilized and informed about the possible track of Kristine.

“The final path is not yet determined – there’s one path that goes up north, this one path it goes to Central Luzon. So, we will know later tonight on which exact path it will follow,” he said. “All local government units, all civil defense units have been alerted and I think we’re prepared.”

Remulla said he also advised concerned LGUs to suspend classes in all levels, both public and private, on Oct. 22 and 23 due to expected inclement weather. He also recommended the cancelation of sea travel in Luzon.

For its part, the Office of Civil Defense, through its regional and provincial offices, assured readiness yesterday for the expected effects of Kristine in various parts of the country during the next few days.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) has placed hospitals and other health facilities in the Calabarzon region under code white alert until Sunday.

Code white alert refers to the readiness of medical personnel in hospitals and health offices to provide necessary health services.

“We have raised the alert status due to the track duration,” DOH Assistant Secretary Ariel Valencia said. “We encourage all provinces (in the Calabarzon) to raise their code alert in response to the possible effects of the tropical storm and extend, escalate, tower their alert level as appropriate to the developing situation in their area of responsibility.”

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said yesterday preparedness measures are in place in areas along the track of tropical depression Kristine.

According to DSWD Assistant Secretary and Disaster Response Management Group head Irene Dumlao, they have directed the DSWD regional directors in affected areas to prepare for Kristine.

Classes suspended

Over 21 million students and nearly a million teachers across 12 regions are either exposed to or affected by the Kristine, prompting over 17,000 schools to suspend classes, the Department of Education (DepEd) said in situational report on Tuesday.

DepEd said nearly 32,000 schools and DepEd offices are exposed to the tropical storm, meaning they are within areas where authorities have issued warnings against flooding, heavy rainfall, tropical cyclone warning signal and a call for pre-disaster risk assessment.

DepEd said 13.9 million students and 591,234 teachers and school workers are within these areas.

Nearly 18,000 schools and DepEd offices – with 7.3 million students and 344,125 teachers and school workers – are in areas where class suspensions have been issued by local government units, have sustained damage due to flood, landslides and storm surge and whose facilities would be used as evacuation centers.

In Metro Manila, the city government of San Juan suspended yesterday afternoon classes of pre-school to Grade 12 and students of Alternative Learning System in both public and private schools after Signal No. 1 was declared by PAGASA.

PAGASA placed Metro Manila under Signal No. 1 after tropical cyclone Kristine strengthened into a tropical storm early morning Tuesday.

In Bulacan, Gov. Daniel Fernando also suspended in-person classes in all levels, both private and public, while Pangasinan Gov. Ramon Guico III declared class suspensions in all levels in the province today. Face-to-face classes in about 611 schools in Negros Occidental were also suspended on Tuesday.

Flooding in eight barangays of Bago and Cadiz in Negros Occidental also triggered the evacuation of 316 families, according to Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management chief Irene Bel Ploteña.

In Bacolod City, 111 families in Brgy. Sum-ag left their homes and temporarily moved to evacuation center because of flashfloods, according to reports of the City Social Welfare and Development Office.

In Sibuco town, Zamboanga del Norte, over 50 houses built on the shorelines were destroyed due to big waves and strong winds brought by Kristine on Monday night, according to authorities.

The local disaster officer here reported a three-year-old boy died from drowning in the midst of heavy downpour and big waves that lashed Purok 1, Sitio Malandi, Barangay Patalon.

The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office reported 10 houses made of light materials were destroyed, affecting 26 families.

Around 50 houses and several fishing bancas were also damaged by the big waves that slammed the coastal village of Barangay Poblacion in Sibuco town, according to Barangay Chairman Merjan Caril.

Lahar warning

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has issued a lahar warning for communities surrounding Mayon volcano in preparation for Kristine.

Phivolcs said heavy to intense rains due to Kristine may generate non-eruption lahar along river or stream channels draining the Mayon edifice.

The lahar can threaten the communities along Miisi, Binaan, Anoling, Quirangay, Maninila, Masarawag, Muladbucad, Nasisi, Mabinit, Matan-ag, Bonga, Buyuan, Basud and Bulawan Channels in Albay province. Communities along the middle and lower slopes and downstream could be threatened by lahar inundation, burial and wash out.

Phivolcs advised communities and LGUs to monitor advisories and take pre-emptive response measures for safety.

Magat Dam

The provincial government of Isabela yesterday alerted residents living near the Magat River and Cagayan River as the National Irrigation Administration will open the water gates of the Magat Dam Reservoir starting 1 p.m. Tuesday in anticipation of the heavy rains that Kristine will bring.

The gates will release 1.44 cubic meters of water per second and the volume will increase depending on the rains.

Residents along these two rivers were advised not to stay at the river banks, avoid crossing them and be ready to go to safer place if needed.

Canceled flights

A total of 51 domestic flights were canceled yesterday due to inclement weather brought by Kristine.

Philippine Airlines and its sister company PALExpress canceled 14 domestic flights for Oct. 22 and 23; while Cebu Pacific (5J) and its sister company Cebgo canceled 37 domestic flights from Oct. 22, 23 and 24.

Affected passengers have been informed through their email and provided with the following options through the Manage Booking portal on the Cebu Pacific and PAL websites.

Passengers are advised to check the status of their flights via websites or airline hotlines.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard reported that close to 3,860 people were stranded in 57 ports across four regions – 2,450 stranded passengers, truck drivers and cargo helpers were in Bicol, 982 in Eastern Visayas, 276 in Southern Tagalog and 152 in northeastern Mindanao.

The four regions also recorded that a total of 635 rolling cargoes, 33 vessels and nine motorized boats were stranded. In northwestern Luzon, there were 129 vessels and 154 motorized boats that took shelter. — Helen Flores, Neil Jayson Servallos, Artemio Dumlao, Rudy Santos, Jose Rodel Clapano, Evelyn Macairan, Gilbert Bayoran, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Ed Amoroso, Cesar Ramirez, Michael Punongbayan, Sheila Crisostomo, Rhodina Villanueva, Roel Pareño