'CHEDENG' GAINS STRENGTH AS IT MOVES AWAY FROM PHL, DEATH TOLL 2
[PHOTO - Evacuees in Malilipot, Albay prepare to return to their homes yesterday as typhoon 'Chedeng' veered away from the country. EDD GUMBAN]
MANILA, MAY 28, 2011 (STAR) By Helen Flores - Typhoon "Chedeng" (international name Songda) gained strength yesterday as it continued to move away from the Philippine area of responsibility, the state weather bureau said.
Chedeng also signaled the start of the rainy season, according to officials of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
"These developments initiated the onset of the rainy season in the country associated with the SW monsoon," PAGASA said.
US weather forecasters, on the other hand, categorized Chedeng as a super typhoon or a Category 5 storm.
The Hawaii-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center expects Chedeng to continue picking up strength until it reaches Okinawa, Japan where it will gradually weaken.
PAGASA supervising undersecretary Graciano Yumul said the northeastern portion of Luzon, including Cagayan, Isabela, Kalinga, Apayao and Aurora, would continue to experience stormy weather until Saturday evening.
As of 5 p.m. yesterday, storm-warning signal no. 3 was raised over the Batanes group of islands and Babuyan group of islands while signal no. 2 was up in Apayao, Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino and Aurora.
PAGASA weather division chief Robert Sawi said heavy rains and gusty winds were experienced yesterday in northeastern Luzon as the typhoon moved closer to Batanes.
As of 4 p.m. yesterday, the eye of Chedeng was spotted 160 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan with maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 230 kph.
Chedeng was forecast to move north-northwest at 19 kph.
It is expected to be 400 kms northeast of Basco, Batanes this afternoon and 110 kms south of Okinawa by tomorrow afternoon.
Chedeng was expected to leave the country's territory by Sunday evening, Sawi said.
Sawi said the Batanes group of islands would still experience stormy weather while the eastern sections of northern and central Luzon will have rains with gusty winds this weekend.
Monsoon rains, on the other hand, will prevail over the rest of the country, including Metro Manila.
Casualties
Officials also confirmed two people were killed in Bicol due to floods and landslides in the wake of Chedeng.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) identified the fatalities as Jaime Torillos, 70, of Gigmoto, Catanduanes and Emmanuel Macaro, 27, of Vinzons, Camarines Norte.
Torillos, said to be suffering from Alzheimer's disease, was reported missing on May 24 and his body was found floating on seawater last Wednesday.
Macaro, on the other hand, was reportedly drunk when he fell from a boat last May 25. He reportedly left the evacuation center to fetch some clothes from his house.
More than 262,000 people who had sought refuge at government-run shelters near Catanduanes were returning to their homes after the typhoon brushed past the region on Thursday, the NDRRMC said.
An NDRRMC update released yesterday showed a total of 328,963 persons, or 67,514 families, were affected by the typhoon in 272 barangays in Bicol, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao, Northern Mindanao, Autonomous Region of Muslim and Mindanao and Metro Manila regions.
Of this, 262,374 persons or 53,840 families were evacuated to various evacuation centers.
The amount of property damage totaled P11.46 million. Of this, P5.42 million represented agriculture damage while P5.49 million comprised infrastructure damage.
A total of 43 houses in Bukidnon, Davao del Norte and Lanao del Norte were damaged by the typhoon.
The NDRRMC also recorded landslides in San Andres, Catanduanes and San Isidro, Davao del Norte.
A total of 1,002 passengers were stranded in 10 ports nationwide. Ramos said they would strengthen their coordination with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to prevent the clogging of passengers in ports.
Despite the two reported casualties that spoiled the government's zero-casualty goal, NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos said he is satisfied with the performance of response teams.
"They stayed awake to monitor developments," Ramos said, noting that the incidents involving the fatalities were beyond their control.
"We hope they would understand (despite the fatalities). We have done our best to coordinate the efforts," he added.
Ramos said the disaster management units have improved in responding to calamities.
"We learned a lot from this experience. We will coordinate more with state agencies. We hope the people in affected areas would cooperate with us," he said.
President Aquino earlier ordered state agencies to ensure zero-casualty once typhoon Chedeng hits the country.
PAGASA's forecasts last Monday and Tuesday showed that Chedeng would make landfall over Isabela-Cagayan area supposedly today.
Its forecast last Wednesday showed Chedeng would hit the area of Aurora-Isabela today.
But a sudden change of direction of the typhoon last Wednesday had the nation bracing for the worst-case scenario as the typhoon seemed headed for the more populated urban areas, including Metro Manila.
PAGASA played up the possibility that the howler might even hit Metro Manila.
Other weather monitoring websites, including the Joint Typhoon Warning Center of the US and Japan Meteorological Agency, however, had indicated Chedeng might just hug the eastern seaboard of the Philippines without making landfall. – With Alexis Romero, Paolo Rom
FROM GMANEWS TV
Aquino to Cabinet: Ensure zero 'Chedeng' casualtiesAMITA LEGASPI, GMA News 05/26/2011 | 11:19 AM
[PHOTO- 3 DYS AGO]
Before leaving for Thailand on Thursday, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III told his Cabinet to make good their promise that there will be zero casualties of typhoon Chedeng.
"Inaasahan ko na ang lahat ng nangako sa akin na handang handa na tayo ay talagang matutupad at hindi ako magugulat habang ako ay nasa Thailand," he said in his departure speech.
The President said they have been preparing for Chedeng for almost three days now.
"Pag ako ay nagulat, magugulat din kayo pagbalik ko," Mr Aquino added.
He will be in Thailand from May 26 to 28 for a state visit. He will return Friday evening.
While in Thailand, the President is expected to have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and meet with Thai businessmen. - VVP, GMA News
FROM THE DAILY TRIBUNE
2 dead as 'Chedeng' leaves RP 05/28/2011
The ambitious "zero casualty" goal of President Aquino with regard to Typhoon "Chedeng" was a failure as the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) already recorded at least two fatalities attributed to the recent weather disturbance that eventually veered away after threatening the country.
Before he left Manila for Thailand last Thursday, the Chief Executive warned to take government officials and weathermen by surprise should the preparations they have undertaken fall short.
NDRRMC executive director Undersecretary Benito Ramos identified the fatalities as Jaime Torillos, 70, a resident of Barangay Biong in Gigmoto town, Catanduanes, and Emmanuel Macaro of Vinzons, Camarines Norte.
Ramos, however, explained that the deaths of the two were beyond the control of government agencies which conducted massive preparations in compliance to Aquino's order regarding "Chedeng."
Reports show that Torillos left his residence unknown to his family at the height of heavy rains and was recovered floating at sea, while Macario was drunk when he fell from a boat and drowned.
While Ramos said he took full responsibility, he expressed hopes that the President will understand even if the "zero casualty" goal was not met by government authorities.
"I hope we will be understood, we have done our best to coordinate efforts," Ramos said.
At the same time, Ramos expressed satisfaction to the performance of the NDRRMC as a whole.
"I am satisfied with the performance of the NDRRMC not because I am the executive director. The important thing is the attitude of the people…in spite of lacking in sleep, information are readily available," Ramos said.
"We improved a lot," he added.
NDDRMC reports show that initial damage to infrastructure and agricultural products was pegged at P11,461,983.
Ramos said that affected residents, most of them from Albay province, were advised to stay inside evacuation centers until 12 hours after "Chedeng" leaves the country's area of responsibility.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the sparsely populated Batanes island group, near the country's northern sea border with Taiwan, remained at risk from the typhoon's peak winds of 195 kilometres an hour. Mario J. Mallari
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