PAGASA: PUBLIC SHOULD EXPECT MORE RAINS UNTIL SUNDAY
[PHOTO - Commuters wade through knee-deep flood waters along Taft Avenue and T. M. Kalaw in Manila during a heavy downpour brought about by tropical storm Falcon on Thursday night. PHOTO BY MIGUEL DE GUZMAN]
MANILA, JUNE 26, 2011 (MANILA TIMES) By Jefferson Antiporda, Reporter - THE public should expect a "very" wet weekend until Sunday according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) although the threat of tropical storm Falcon directly hitting the any part of the country is remote.
Pagasa weather forecaster Primo Ulitin on Friday said that chances of Falcon intensifying into a typhoon were big since the weather disturbance gained strength as it stayed at sea.
Based on the latest weather bulletin issued by Pagasa, the storm as of 10 a.m. on Friday was 330 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes, packing maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of 100 kph.
It was traveling north-northwest at a speed of 19 kph, much faster than its speed on Thursday of 13 kph.
Ulitin said that since Falcon was staying at sea, its raw strength would not be felt in the country.
He added that as the storm moved away from the country, moderate to heavy rainfall would continue because of the southwest monsoon.
In Pagasa's forecast, Falcon is expected to be at 500 kilometers north northeast of Basco today and 1,030 kilometers north northeast of Basco or 370 kilometers west northwest of Okinawa, Japan, by Sunday.
As of Friday, only three areas in Luzon were under Storm Signal No. 1: Calayan, Babuyan Group of Islands and Batanes Group of Islands.
The continuous rains brought by the storm caused two major dams in Luzon to overflow, forcing authorities to release water to prevent possible flash floods in their surrounding areas.
Roy Badilla, a hydrologist from Pagasa, said that water levels at Ipo dam as of 2 p.m. was at 101.20 meters, which was above its spilling level of 100.87 meters.
The dam's gates were opened to release excess water and prevent it from flowing over the dam.
Water level at the La Mesa dam in Quezon City reached 80.23 meters, which was over the limit of 80 meters, forcing the release of water through its gates.
Water levels at the other dams remained safe: Angat dam 197.41 meters or below spilling level of 210 meters; Ambuklao 751.19 meters below spilling level of 752 meters, Binga at 565.62 meters below spilling level of 575 meters; San Roque 236.07 meters below spilling level of 280 meters; Pantabangan 182.02 meters below spilling level of 221 meters; Magat 183.11 meters below spilling level of 193 meters; Caliraya 286.47 meters below spilling level of 288 meters.
Badilla said that water levels in all dams would be monitored continuously.
FROM THE DAILY TRIBUNE
Thousands flee homes as floods hit RP; Noy a no-show at disaster council meet By Mario J. Mallari and Aytch S. de la Cruz 06/25/2011
More than 170,000 people have been affected by continuous rains brought about by tropical storm "Falcon" since Wednesday, over 53,000 of whom are currently staying in various evacuation centers in at least four regions, including Metro Manila, battered by heavy downpour.
Reports from the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) said that as of 12 noon yesterday a total of 33,429 families composed of 171,012 individuals have been affected by the continuing rains spawned by Falcon for the past three days.
Of the number, NDRRMC executive director Undersecretary Benito Ramos
said 11,245 families or 53,152 persons have been evacuated and are now staying in 25 evacuation centers in Regions III, IV-A or Calabarzon area, V and the National Capital Region.
He added that Region V or the Bicol region registered the most number of affected families with 20,626 or 107,253 individuals.
Out of these, 8,847 families composed 42,612 persons are now staying in evacuation centers.
In Central Luzon, a total of 86 barangays from the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga and Zambales were affected by flooding triggered by continuing heavy rains. Some 10,106 families composed of 52,907 individuals were affected.
According to Ramos, at least 40 barangays were also submerged in floodwater in Metro Manila, affecting 1,998 families or 7,520 people.
He said nine evacuation centers are now set up in the capital region serving 1,673 families composed of 7,111 persons, most of them from Marikina City.
"Nobody got hurt or drowned…we managed properly, there was no panic," added Ramos as he cited the cooperation of Marikina City residents after hearing the sirens warning of the spill of floodwaters from the Marikina River on Thursday night.
But 11 persons were still missing in or near the Bicol peninsula that bore the brunt of "Falcon" as it brushed past the eastern side of the country, the council added.
The missing included 10 fishermen who ventured out to sea from the island of Catanduanes before Falcon struck and a woman swept away by flash flooding in another part of Bicol, the NDRRMC said.
President Aquino was supposed to drop by at the NDRRMC briefing, also attended by officials from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Service Administration (Pagasa), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Departments of Health, Social Welfare and Development, Transportation and Communications, among others, but did not push through.
Aquino's supposed attendance to the meeting was not included in his official schedule Friday but his presence in that particular occasion was nevertheless expected by representatives of government agencies that deal with disaster preparations.
No reasons were immediately given by Aquino on his failure to attend the NDRRMC briefing and no one among his three-headed communications group were able to face reporters that staked out in Malacañang yesterday to properly speak about the matter.
Only deputy presidential spokesman Abigail Valte managed to issue a brief explanation through a text message, saying: "PNoy (Aquino's nickname) gets constant updates from the Cabinet secretaries concerned about the typhoon situation."
This was not the first time Aquino deliberately skipped a disaster-preparedness briefing called by the NDRRMC as he has always made clear his preference not to get too involved while his subordinates are working because he's no micromanager.
In October last year, the President also failed to attend a similar meeting in relation to the country's preparations for super typhoon "Juan" which was considered as the strongest typhoon to hit Asian countries during that period.
Malacañang also has failed to issue even just a general statement on the central government's specific directives or plans ahead of the expected damages wrought by Falcon's following its onslaught which sent Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon flooded.
The least Malacañang did was to issue Memorandum Circular (MC) 14 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. allowing government employees in the National Capital Region to go home as early as 1 p.m. yesterday.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, for his part, issued a statement commending the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the PNP and local government units for supposedly attending to the needs of the commuting public and neighborhoods affected by the strong rains last Thursday.
"Even as government employees in the National Capital Region have been allowed to go home, MMDA employees under the lead of Chairman (Francis) Tolentino continue to work round-the-clock. As we undertake the cleanup and repair of the metropolis, this is a harsh reminder of the increasing challenges erratic weather patterns will bring in their wake because of global warming," Lacierda said.
Science and Technology Undersecretary Graciano Yumul said rain would further intensify over the main island of Luzon, even though the storm was moving away from the Philippines toward Taiwan.
Pagasa reported that Falcon had strengthened as it moved northwest toward Taiwan, with gusts of 100 kilometers per hour. PNA and AFP
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