Editorial Comment

While the body count increases, the world keeps a respectful silence, but as soon as the rains stop, the victims will be blamed for ignoring the warnings that they should have reforested their mountains to protect them from erosion and improved the drainage in their cities to prevent flooding, in anticipation of the havoc from climate change.

Lush forests on mountains and good drainage in cities are undoubtedly a common good; however, they are quite helpless against the melting arctic and antarctic glaciers that are causing the sea level to rise, and the warmer sea-surface temperatures that are packing the storms with more water. Rather than offer advice to the grieving Filipinos, it would better to call on China, the United States, Russia, India, Japan, the European Union, Canada and South Korea to cut back their emissions of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane) into the atmosphere.

As ever, it is the poor who pay for the excesses of the rich. To blame the Filipinos for failing to prepare for disaster is like suggesting someone should reinforce his ceiling and keep a mop handy because the rich upstairs neighbor likes to let his bath overflow.

Dady Chery, Editor
Haiti Chery

For PAGASA updates, click here.

‘Gener’ Toll Now 39; Aquino Visits Baseco

By Elena L. Aben and Ellalyn B. De Vera

Manila Bulletin

Manila, Philippines, August 3, 2012, 19:36 — The death toll from typhoon “Gener” (international codename: “Saola”) rose to 39 while the cost of damage to agriculture and infrastructure reached P240 million as of Friday morning [August 3], the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.

The latest NDRRMC bulletin showed that Gener affected 519,665 people in 741 villages throughout the country.

President Benigno S. Aquino III visited an evacuation center in Baseco Compound, Tondo, Manila, which sheltered residents whose shanties on the bay side were rammed by a barge during the monsoon surge in Manila Bay at the height of Gener’s onslaught.

In urging the victims not to reconstruct their shanties by the bay, Aquino assured the residents that the government will continue to assist them and find a permanent relocation area that is safer.

A total of 117 towns and 25 cities in 32 provinces were lashed by Gener. Worst hit in terms of affected population was Region 3 or Central Luzon where 48,469 families or 218,355 people in 152 villages were adversely affected by the heavy rains, winds, and floods.

Pampanga Provincial Information Officer Joel Mapiles said 11 towns were still under one- to four-feet deep floods, aggravated by the overflowing of the Pampanga River, Abacan River, Guagua River and Candaba swamp due to heavy rains.

The PDRRMC reported an estimated 5,822 families or 31,287 individuals were affected by typhoon in Pampanga, Mapiles said.

Region 4A also took a big hit with 35,530 families or 176,446 people in 185 villages affected by the typhoon, the NDRRMC said.

In Cavite alone, 31,344 families or 153,260 people from 106 villages were flooded. Out of this affected population, 4,212 families or 17,563 people are now temporarily housed in 81 evacuation centers.

Meanwhile, 11 of the latest fatalities were identified as:

• Angela Nicole Gregorio, 12; Patricia Gregorio, 11; and Elisa Mae Dolfino, all of Malinta, Valenzuela City;
• Anthony Capsuyan, 25; Reynaldo Polca Frio, 38; and Arlene Tinaza Paz, 16, all from Ilocos Sur;
• Crisanto Rapusol, 22; and Winnie Capiles, 43, both from Bataan;
• CJ Marco Carlos, 6 months, drowned in Obando, Bulacan;
• Angel Ignacio, 6, from Pampanga; and Hazel Mae Arpullos, 6, from Occidental Mindoro.

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All victims died due to drowning.

Another victim, whose body was fished out from Manila Bay, has yet to be identified.

In Obando, Bulacan where the entire municipality had been submerged in floodwater in the nine-day length of Gener’s onslaught, officials declared a state of calamity yesterday.

Floods not only submerged all of Obando’s 11 barangays but also 16 barangays in Hagonoy, and 12 in Calumpit.

One fatality was from Obando and another came from Marilao (Meycauayan as reported by the NDRRMC), said Bulacan Governor Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado, also the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) chief.

The NDRRMC later identified them as:

• Jerome Orea, 19, and Justin Francisco, 19, whose bodies were fished out of Manila Bay.

Noting that most of the fatalities were drowning victims, NDRRMC Executive Director Benito Ramos appealed to the public to take all necessary precautions during the typhoon season.

He particularly urged parents to monitor their children and not to allow them to go swimming during heavy rains.

“I can only surmise na itong mga kabataan sa statistics na ito na nakuha natin karamihan sa kanila ay kabataan, nagswimming. Karamihan dito ay nalunod dahil malalakas, matataas yung alon kagaya sa area ng Ilocos Sur at dito rin sa may coastal towns ng Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, even sa Metro Manila,” said Ramos.

In Malacañang, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte government would rather focus on providing assistance to affected residents rather than on pinpointing who is at fault.

But she said recent flooding in the metropolis “should serve as a lesson for all of us,” noting the amount of trash collected from the Manila Bay area that resulted in heavy flooding in Roxas Boulevard.

“We do appeal to the residents along these areas that have been identified as danger areas to heed the appeal of the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) para maiwasan yung pinsala sa kanila (to keep them away from harm),” Valte said.

Speaking at Baseco Compound with the President, DSWD Secretary Corazon Soliman said there are 145 houses ready for occupancy in Montalban, Rizal, where the first batch of residents can be relocated.

Relocation, however, will be voluntary.

There were an estimated 212 families affected by the barge ramming incident in Baseco Compound.

Aquino said once in permanent relocation sites, residents will be provided livelihood trainings, urging the affected residents to take the opportunity being offered to them by the government.

The President also urged other residents living in danger areas, such as those living under bridges, near creeks and rivers, among others, to relocate in safer areas.

There are 1.4 million informal settler families in the country, of which 560,000 are in the National Capital Region (NCR), including 130,000 families living in danger zones.

The President also handed out relief assistance to the affected residents, which included blankets, rice, and canned goods.

The NDRRMC said damage to agriculture was pegged at P79,730,000 while damage to infrastructure reached P170,419,615 for a total of P240,149,615.48.

The NDRRMC said 776 houses were also totally destroyed during the onslaught of the typhoon while, while 3,528 were damaged.

Several towns in Pangasinan were flooded yesterday after the San Roque Dam in San Manuel released water due to heavy rains.

The dam opened one gate by 0.5 meter at 10 p.m. Thursday for pre-emptive water release, said Engineer Tom Valdez, vice-president for operations of the San Roque Power Corporation.

He said continuous inflow from Ambuklao dam prompted the pre-emptive release in preparation for heavy rainfall even if San Roque water level was only at 278 meters above sea level (masl).

San Roque dam’s spilling level is at 280 masl while the critical level is 290 masl.San Roque dam’s spilling level is at 280 masl while the critical level is 290 masl.

A state of calamity due to the effects of Gener was also declared in the Navotas City in Metro Manila, Barangays Hacienda, Portic and Cayanga in Bugallon, Pangasinan; Obando, Bulacan; Mabitac, Laguna; Bacoor, Tanza, Ternate, Rosario, Kawit, Naic, Noveleta, and Cavite City in Cavite; San Luis and Lemery in Batangas; and San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.

But as far as away as Western Visayas, the aftermath of typhoon Gener and the southwest monsoon have displaced 14,708 people.

Speaking in Iloilo City, Office of Civil Defense (OCD-6) Director Rosario Cabrera disclosed that the number of residents affected in the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental has risen despite the storm having left the country.

Cabrera, who also chairs the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC-6), noted that three people died, nine injured, and one missing in the aftermath of the twin weather disturbances that did not even directly hit Western Visayas.

Flood, storm surges and landslides have displaced 3,394 families across the region. It has totally damaged 190 houses and partially damaged 1,633 houses.

The province of Negros Occidental remains the most affected with 9,399 persons displaced, 97 totally damaged and 1,081 partially damaged houses.

It is followed by Iloilo City with 2,958 people displaced, 78 totally damaged and 367 partially damaged houses. Most of the damaged houses were along the coastal lines of Molo and Arevalo districts.

There were also numerous damages to houses and infrastructures in the provinces of Aklan, Antique and Iloilo. —with reports from Madel R. Sabater, Franco G. Regala, Freddie C. Velez, Liezle Basa Iñigo, and Tara Yap

($1 = 41.8500 Philippine pesos)

UPDATE Aug 4, 2012 (YahooNews): Typhoon Gener left the Philippines for Taiwan early Friday August 3.

Orange alert issued

By Shianee Mamanglu

Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines, August 9, 2012 — The incessant rains in Metro Manila and nearby provinces appear not to taper down anytime soon as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) raised anew its rainfall alert from Yellow to Orange.

As of 9 this morning, the weather bureau issued the Orange warning signal after it recorded heavy rainfall (8.5-12mm/hr) over Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, Quezon City and Marikina.

Heavy rains were also registered over the vicinity of Bulacan while light to moderate rains were noted over Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga and Tarlac.

PAGASA said residents can expect Moderate to Heavy (7.5-15.0 mm/hr) rains with occasional Intense (15.0-30.0 mm/hr) rains over Camanava, Quezon City and nearby areas within 2 hrs owing to the effect of the series of thunderstorms embedded in the Southwest Monsoon.

Light to Moderate (2.5-7.0 mm/hr) rains will also be expected over Manila & Marikina.

‘Helen’ now a storm; 7 areas in Luzon under storm signal

By Staff (PNA/Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)
Sun Star

Manila, Philippines (3rd update, 1:31 p.m. Monday, August 13, 2012) — Seven areas in Northern Luzon have been placed under public storm warning as Tropical Depression Helen intensified into a storm, the state weather bureau said Monday.

In its latest weather update Monday noon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said public storm signal no. 1 was raised in the provinces of:

• Batanes,
• Isabela,
• Kalinga,
• Apayao,
• Cagayan,
• Calayan Group of Islands,
• Babuyan Group of Islands.

Those areas are expected to experience winds of 30 to 60 kilometers per hour (kph) within the next 36 hours.

Residents living in low-lying and mountainous areas under public storm warning signals are alerted against possible flash floods and landslides, while those residing in coastal areas under public storm warning signal no. 1 are alerted against big waves or storm surges generated, PAGASA said.

As of 10 a.m. Monday, the center of Tropical Storm Helen (international name: Kai-Tak) was located based on satellite and surface data at 550 kilometers (km) east northeast of Casiguran, Aurora.

It packed maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph.

PAGASA said “Helen” carries about 15-35 millimeters per hour (0.6 to 1.5 inches per hour, heavy to torrential) of rainfall within its 400-km diameter coverage.

“Helen” is expected to enhance the southwest monsoon that will bring rains over Luzon and the Visayas especially over the western section. The storm might leave the country by Thursday.

“Locally heavy downpours are possible across Luzon in the northern Philippines from Monday through Wednesday. This area has already seen flooding rain over the past week, and additional rainfall will result in the potential for more significant flooding and mudslides to occur,”

meteorologist Eric Leister of accuweather.com said.

By the middle of the week, Leister said “Helen” could also impact Taiwan, another area which has been affected by Typhoon Saola (“Gener” in the Philippines) less than two weeks ago. “Helen” may develop into a typhoon on its way to Southern China on Thursday.

PAGASA said intermittent light to moderate rains (2.5-7.5 mm/hr, or 0.1-0.3 inch/hour) are now affecting Central and Southern Luzon becoming more frequent moderate to heavy rains (7.5-10 mm/hr, o.r 0.3-0.4 inch.hour) during the latter part of the day towards the evening over Camarines provinces, Quezon province, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Mindoro, Bataan, Zambales and Metro Manila.

PAGASA said “Helen” is forecast to move west northwest at 13 kilometers per hour. On Tuesday morning, it is expected to be 330 km east northeast of Tuguegarao City.

By Wednesday morning, it is expected to be 80 km north northeast of Aparri, Cagayan; and on Thursday morning, 220 km west of Basco, Batanes.

 

Condolences to Philippines where life must go on

Nearly three weeks of typhoon Gener followed by monsoon rains and tropical storm Helen have caused the worst flooding in years in the Philippines. In this archipelago with 103 million people, about 2 million have been affected, including more than 100 who have died and 300,000 who have been displaced. Our deepest sympathies.

Dady Chery, Editor
Haiti Chery

Sources: Haiti Chery |  Manila Bulletin #1 | Manila Bulletin #2 | Sun Star