“LEON” intensified into a super typhoon yesterday as authorities reported the preemptive evacuation of over 8,000 people in three regions in northern Luzon to keep them safe from possible flooding and landslides.
“We are in full throttle,” said Edgar Posadas, spokesman of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), on the government’s preparations for Leon.
Batanes was placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 4. At least 20 other areas were also under storm signal warnings.
Leon is expected to exit on Friday. As of 7 p.m. yesterday, it was some 190 km east of Basco, Batanes, moving northwestward at 20 kph. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 185kph near the center and gustiness of up to 230 kph, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
Leon intensified into a super typhoon, from severe tropical storm, yesterday morning.
“Leon will be closest to Batanes from late evening today (Wednesday) to tomorrow (Thursday) morning,” PAGASA said in a bulletin issued at 8 p.m. yesterday.
PAGASA, however, said a landfall scenario in Batanes is not ruled out.
“This super typhoon will be near or at peak intensity during its closest point of approach to Batanes,” PAGASA said.
PAGASA said Leon will move northwestward in the Philippine Sea until it makes landfall in the eastern coast of Taiwan on Thursday morning or afternoon.
“After crossing the landmass of Taiwan, Leon will then turn north northwestward to northeastward over the Taiwan Strait towards the East China Sea and exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility tomorrow evening or Friday early morning,” said PAGASA.
“A second landfall over mainland China is not ruled out during this period,” added PAGASA.
PREPARATIONS
President Marcos Jr. directed agencies to prepare for Leon’s impact even as the country is still recovering from “Kristine.”
“Unfortunately, mukhang may padating na naman. Kaya’t paghandaan natin nang Mabuti (Unfortunately, it looks like another is coming. So, we should prepare well for it),” Marcos said.
Posadas said the NDRRMC is preparing for a landfall of Leon although PAGASA has said the center of tropical cyclone will not hit land in the country.
PAGASA said Leon will be closest to Batanes late Wednesday or early morning Thursday.
Posadas said the preemptive evacuation of people living in landslide- and flood-prone areas was ongoing as of Wednesday afternoon.
“We are not taking this lightly,” said Posadas referring to the effects of Leon.
Office of Civil Defense administrator and NDRRMC executive director Ariel Nepomuceno said about 8,770 persons have been preemptively evacuated in the Ilocos, Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon regions.
Defense Secretary and NDRRMC chairman Gilberto Teodoro Jr earlier ordered the preemptive or forced evacuation of those living in high-risk areas as part of proactive measures.
“We are always assuming the worst-case scenario for purposes of preparations,” said Nepomuceno said when asked to describe the government’s preparations for Leon.
He said concerned agencies have been instructed to replenish food and non-food items that may be needed by people who will be affected by Leon.
Nepomuceno said concerned agencies were also ordered to “make sure that (potable) water will be available” and “rescue teams are ready.”
He said they were also ordered to keep the public informed about the potential hazards that Leon will bring, implement force evacuation, and ensure “communications are intact and redundant.”
In an online press briefing, OCD Calabarzon regional director Carlos Eduardo Alvarez III said 781 families have been preemptively evacuated in Batangas and Rizal alone.
Under storm Signal No. 3 were the eastern part of Babuyan Islands and the northeastern portion of mainland Cagayan.
Eight areas are under Signal No. 2. These are rest of Babuyan Islands, rest of mainland Cagayan, northern portion of Isabela, Apayao, Kalinga, northern and eastern portions of Abra, eastern portion of Mountain Province, and Ilocos Norte.
Thirteen areas are under Signal No. 1 — rest of Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, rest of Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, rest of Abra, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, and northeastern portion of Tarlac.
FLOODS
Posadas said there is a possibility that rains from Leon will cause flooding in areas that were flooded earlier by severe tropical storm “Kristine.”
“That is why we have given instructions to our regional officers … to be mindful about this reflooding of formerly flooded areas. Also the river basins, the possibility of them overflowing again,” said Posadas.
Kristine exited last Friday. The death toll has increased to 145 people, with 37 others still missing.
Kristine has affected about 1.8 million families (about 7 million individuals) in 17 regions. Of the number, 177,872 families or 761,010 individuals remained displaced as of yesterday.
PAGASA said Batanes and Cagayan (including Babuyan Islands) will experience intense to torrential rains until Thursday afternoon.
Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Apayao, Abra, Isabela, Occidental Mindoro, Calamian Islands and Antique will also experience heavy to intense rains during the same period.
On Thursday afternoon until Friday afternoon, Batanes will experience intense to torrential rains while Babuyan Islands will experience heavy to intense rains.
PAGASA warned of storm surge in Batanes and Cagayan within the next 48 hours, starting 2 p.m. yesterday.
“There is a possibility of inundation due to rising sea water along with high waves in the low-lying coastal communities in some municipalities in the provinces of Batanes (Basco, Itbayat, Ivana, Mahatao, Sabtang, Uyugan), and Cagayan (Calayan),” PAGASA said.
AID
The Department of Social Welfare and Development said over P524.7 million worth of food and non-food relief items has been distributed to affected families while local government units have provided aid of more than P26.9 million; non-governmental organizations, 1.67 million; and other partners, P302,887.
Among those that provided aid were the United Arab Emirates which turned over 33,000 food boxes to the DSWD.
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian and other officials met with UAE Ambassador Mohammed Obaid Alzaabi and Emirates Red Crescent Chairman of the Board of Directors Hamdan Musallam Al Mazrouei on Tuesday evening to discuss the embassy’s plans to roll out humanitarian assistance in response to the widespread impact of the recent storms.
“Laying out their plans for the humanitarian aid, the UAE Embassy is set to lead the deployment of critical relief supplies and prioritize delivery of food packs and drinking water, in the regions that bore the brunt of Kristine, particularly the Bicol Region,” the DSWD said in a social media post.
It added that the DSWD and its regional offices will transport and distribute the relief goods to the affected areas.
The first batch of 1,000 food boxes was distributed yesterday to displaced families currently temporarily taking shelter at the Malanday Elementary School in Marikina.#
Meanwhile, Labor Undersecretary Benjo Benavidez said the labor department will provide emergency employment assistance to some 251,000 workers displaced by Kristine in Bicol and Calabarzon.
“This will be emergency employment or 10 days of work with corresponding pay for displaced workers,” he said.
Livelihood assistance will also be provided, for “a maximum of P50,000 and as much as P3 million for groups or associations.”
He said all workers who lost their jobs or have been displaced by the calamity are eligible.
KRISTINE DAMAGE
Damage to the agriculture sector from Kristine was at P3.76 billion yesterday, the Department of Agriculture said.
The DA said the damage is equivalent to 190,488 metric tons (MT) of goods tended by 87,496 farmers and fishers in 81,606 hectares (ha) of affected areas in 11 regions — Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Soccsksargen, and Caraga.
Bulk of Kristine’s recorded damage is from rice at P3.20 billion equivalent to 169,830 MT from a total of 75,998 ha wherein 47,165 ha or 62.06 percent is partially damaged while the remaining 28,833 ha or 37.94 percent is totally damaged.
Rice damage was followed by followed by 7,369 MT of high value crops worth P408.09 million, P51.71 million from 2,501 MT of corn, P43.47 million from farm structures, P26 million from irrigation facilities, P11.20 million from 66 MT of fisheries, P8.46 million from 217 MT of cassava and P6.90 million from 3,438 heads of livestock and poultry.
FLOOD CONTROL FUNDS
Sen. Imee Marcos said she wants concerned government agencies to make a full accounting of the billions of pesos budget for flood control projects in Bicol.
She said the government has allotted more than P132 billion for flood control projects in the region since 2018 and yet large areas of Bicol were under floodwaters during the onslaught of Kristine.
“The public deserves transparency on where these funds went,” Marcos said.
She said the Department of Public Works and Highways should provide a full accounting of the funds and progress of the flood control projects in the Bicol region when the department’s budget will be tackled in the plenary next month.
She said that according to the General Appropriations Act of 2024, Bicol received P31.94 billion, which brings to close to P133 billion the budget for flood control projects in the region since 2018.
“Of this amount, over P86.6 billion was allocated in just the past two years, yet typhoon Kristine has once again left the region in crisis, exposing inadequate infrastructure and critical gaps in flood mitigation,” Marcos said. – With Jocelyn Montemayor, Gerard Naval, Jed Macapagal, and Raymond Africa
She said the Senate needs “concrete, well-engineered solutions” which will effectively address the threats of climate change, not outdated projects that risk the lives, homes, and livelihoods.