A LOW pressure area in extreme northern Luzon intensified yesterday into a tropical depression and was named “Ineng,” the country’s ninth tropical cyclone for this year.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Ineng was forecast to remain far from the Philippine landmass. It was also expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility Tuesday night or this Wednesday morning.
Ineng will not directly affect the country but will slightly enhance the southwest monsoon.
The southwest monsoon is already being enhanced by typhoon “Hanna” which exited PAR last Monday.
Many parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, and Visayas are still recovering from the effects rains brought by the southwest monsoon, enhanced by Hanna and super typhoon “Goring.”
On Ineng, PAGASA said it may become a tropical storm before exiting the PAR.
As of 4 p.m. yesterday, Ineng was some 1,020 km east of extreme northern Luzon, moving northeastward at 20 kph. It was packing maximum winds of 45 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 55 kph.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the southwest monsoon has affected 140,095 families or 514,016 individuals in Metro Manila and seven other regions — Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
Of the total, 52,006 families (186,865 individuals) were displaced although the number was down to 1,258 families (4,945 individuals) as of yesterday due to improved weather.
The number of deaths remained at two (one due to drowning and one due to landslide) while the number of missing was still pegged at one.
The NDRRC has yet to include in the list a member of the Philippine Coast Guard who died during a search and rescue operation in Barangay Halog East, in Tubao town in La Union yesterday.
The PCG said Petty Officer Third Class Ponciano Nesperos, of the PCG’s Special Operations Group-North Western Luzon, was among the PCG personnel sent to the barangay to respond to a drowning incident.
The PCG said Nesperos was securing a “safety line” when he lost balance, fell into the river, and was swept by strong currents. He was brought to the La Union Medical Center after he was found unconscious but was declared dead on arrival.
Meanwhile, NDRRMC said the cost of damage to infrastructure in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Mimaropa and CAR rose to P727.25 million.
The cost of damage to agriculture in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, and CAR also increased to P623.79 million.
