Work, classes in 7 regions suspended today
“KARDING” made landfall in Quezon yesterday afternoon after intensifying into a super typhoon that prompted the weather agency to place seven areas in Luzon under Signal No. 5.
The northern portion of Metro Manila is among 12 areas under Signal No. 4.
Karding (international name Neru) intensified into a tropical depression and tropical storm, from low pressure area, on Thursday. It further intensified into severe tropical storm and typhoon on Saturday. It again further intensified into a super typhoon at around 5 a.m. yesterday “after a period of explosive intensification of 90 kph in 24 hours,” according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
Karding is the country’s 11th tropical cyclone this year and the third this month.
In a bulletin issued by PAGASA at 8 p.m. yesterday, Karding slightly weakened but remained a super typhoon. As of 7 p.m., the center of the eye of the typhoon was in the coastal waters of General Nakar in Quezon. Karding was moving westward at 20 kph, packing maximum winds of 185 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 255 kph. It was forecast to emerge in the West Philippine Sea today and exit the Philippine area of responsibility tomorrow.
Karding made landfall in Burdeos, Quezon at 5:30 p.m. and was forecast to make another landfall in General Nakar or Dingalan, Aurora later on Sunday night.
President Marcos Jr. suspended all work today in government and classes in seven regions in Luzon, on the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management (NDRRMC) in anticipation of heavy to intense rainfall due to Karding, said Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles.
The NDRRMC recommended the suspension of work in all government offices in the National Capital Region (NCR), Regions I (Ilocos), II (Cagayan Valley), III (Central Luzon, IV-A (Calabarzon), V (Bicol), and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), excluding those rendering emergency services.
It also recommended the suspension of classes in public schools at all levels while “the same course of action for private companies, offices, and schools is left to the discretion of the general public.”
PAGASA administrator Vicente Malano said rainfall expected from Karding will be less serious than that brought by tropical storm “Ondoy” that flooded Metro Manila and nearby areas exactly 13 years ago today.
Ondoy left 464 people dead, affected nearly five million people, and caused nearly P11 billion in damage to infrastructure and agriculture.
“Ondoy had many cluster of clouds that brought heavy rains. In the case of Karding, the cluster of clouds is not that many,” said Malano, adding Ondoy’s cluster of clouds covered almost the entire Metro Manila.
Ondoy was almost stationary at some point during its devastation, causing massive flooding, unlike Karding which was forecast to continue moving at 20 kph.
As of 8 p.m. yesterday, PAGASA said seven areas were under Signal No. 5. These were Polillo Islands, extreme northern portion of Quezon, extreme southern portion of Aurora and Nueva Ecija, eastern portion of Pampanga, eastern and central portions of Bulacan, and extreme northern portion of Rizal.
Twelve areas were under Signal No. 4: northern portion of Metro Manila (the cities of Marikina, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela and Quezon); Calaguas Islands, southern portion of Aurora, central and southern portions of Nueva Ecija and Tarlac, rest of Pampanga, rest of Bulacan and Zambales, northern portion of Bataan, southern portion of Pangasinan, northern and central portions of Rizal, and extreme northern portion of Laguna.
Placed under Signal No. 3 were 11 areas. These are central portion of Aurora, southeastern portion of Nueva Vizcaya, rest of Nueva Ecija, rest of Bataan, rest of Pangasinan, rest of Metro Manila, rest of Rizal, northern and central portions of Laguna, northern and central portions of Cavite, rest of the northern portion of Quezon, and the northern portion of Camarines Norte.
Thirteen areas were under Signal No. 2 — southern portion of Isabela, Quirino, rest of Nueva Vizcaya, Benguet, La Union, rest of Aurora, rest of Cavite, Batangas, rest of Laguna, central portion of Quezon, rest of Camarines Norte, northern portion of Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes.
There were 18 areas under Signal No. 1 — southern portion of Cagayan, rest of Isabela, southern portion of Apayao, Kalinga, Abra, Mountain Province, Ifugao, southern portion of Ilocos Norte , Ilocos Sur, rest of Quezon, northern portion of Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Islands, northern portion of Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, rest of Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Burias Island, and Ticao Island.
FLOODING
PAGASA deputy administrator for research and development Esperanza Cayanan said Karding’s track can be compared to super typhoon “Rolly” that struck in October 2020.
“It has almost similar track (with Rolly), though Rolly is stronger with 225 kph maximum sustained winds,” said Cayanan.
Rolly left 25 people dead and affected over two million people. Rolly’s damage to infrastructure and agriculture was placed at P17.8 billion.
Cayanan said Karding may bring torrential rains in some areas and will likely cause flooding in low-lying areas.
Malano said the public should prepare for any tropical cyclone, regardless if they are super typhoons or not. He noted that Ondoy was only a storm, yet it claimed many lives.
PAGASA senior weather specialist Chris Perez said Karding will not only bring rains in areas with signal warnings but also in parts of Visayas and Mindanao due to the southwest monsoon which Karding enhanced.
Perez also said Karding might be “very destructive” in areas under Signal No. 5. He said it can damage structures, uproot trees, and topple electric posts and cut communication lines.
PREPARATIONS
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, citing initial information from the field, said at least 97 families or 336 persons have been preemptively evacuated in the Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon regions.
The NDRRMC said preemptive evacuations were also conducted in the Calabarzon and Bicol regions but could not immediately give figures.
“I asked our mayors to comply with strict preemptive evacuations,” Quezon Gov. Helen Tan told DZRH radio.
Fishermen in coastal communities were barred from heading to sea, she said.
The Philippine Coast Guard said more than 1,200 passengers and 28 vessels were stranded in ports south of the capital.
“Coconut trees are swaying while banana plants have been brought down,” Angelique Bosque, the mayor of the Polillo Islands, told DZRH radio station.
Waves whipped up by Karding were battering Luzon’s main port and low-lying areas were flooded, Bosque said.
The mayor of Dingalan town in Aurora told DZMM radio station that communication lines were severed and power was out in some communities.
Numerous ferry services were suspended, and airlines canceled 30 domestic and international flights to and from Manila, authorities said.
Defense Secretary and NDRRMC chairman Jose Faustino Jr. led a pre-disaster risk assessment yesterday at the NDRRMC office in Camp Aguinaldo mainly to check on the preparations to mitigate the effects of Karding.
In a statement, the DND said Faustino asked concerned agencies to “ensure the functionality of lifelines, especially water and communications.”
Faustino also ordered the Armed Forces “to be on alert and prepare.”
The Armed Forces said it has alerted the Northern Luzon Command, Southern Luzon Command, and Western Command and units under these commands “for possible humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations in areas expected to be affected by super typhoon Karding.”
AFP public affairs office chief Col. Jorry Baclor said air and naval assets are also on standby “for deployment as soon as the weather clears for aerial assessment, transport, and evacuation operations.”
PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr has also alerted police units to render assistance and he asked for the cooperation of the public.
“We ask residents living in danger zones to adhere to calls for evacuation whenever necessary,” he said.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it still has over P1.604 billion worth of funds and stocks of family food packs and non-food relief items on standby and ready for distribution in areas affected by Karding.
CLASS, WORK SUSPENSION
An updated order that was previously released and then taken down by the Department of Education (DepEd) is now in effect. Under the order, classes from kindergarten to Grade 12, and work in public schools are automatically canceled in areas under any public storm signal.
DepEd spokesperson Michael Tan Poa said Department Order No.37 was already in effect as it has been re-uploaded on its website and filed with the Office of the National Administrative Registrar (ONAR) last September 20.
The revised order issued by Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte stated that in-person and online classes, work, and Alternative Learning System are suspended in schools located in areas where tropical cyclone wind Signals 1, 2 ,3, 4, or 5 were raised by PAGASA.
There would also be class and work suspension in areas issued with an “Orange” or “Red” rainfall warning, or flood warning from the weather bureau.
The order said that local chief executives may decide on class suspensions if their area is under yellow rainfall warning from PAGASA.
Poa also said schools can still be used as evacuation centers during calamities, under Order 37.
Last month, Poa said DepEd, DILG and the DBM will come up with a memorandum on the use of school buildings as emergency shelters. This is to ensure, according to Poa, uninterrupted classes.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri ordered work suspension at the Senate today. As a result, budget briefings scheduled for today, including that of National Economic and Development Authority, Philippine Institute for Development Studies, Commission on Higher Education, State Universities and Colleges, the Development Academy of the Philippines, and Department of Transportation will have to be scheduled to some other dates.
Plenary session was also suspended and will resume at 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Acting Chief Justice Marvic Leonen ordered the suspension of all court operations today in several areas in Central Luzon, Southern Luzon and in the National Capital Judicial Region.
Leonen said executive judges or justices in other regions have the discretion to suspend their operations.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority acting chairperson Carlo Dimayuga III ordered the suspension today of the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program or “number coding” scheme.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) suspended work today in the regions of Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Bicol. — With Jocelyn Montemayor, Ashzel Hachero, Raymond Africa, Gerard Naval, Christian Oineza and Reuters
