Mandatory evacuation ordered; ‘Nika’ set to make landfall today

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INTERIOR Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla yesterday told local chief executives to implement “mandatory evacuation” in hazard areas in three regions as “Nika,” which has intensified into a severe tropical storm, is set to make landfall today in Isabela or Aurora.

Remulla, vice chairman for preparedness of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), said flooding and landslides are the “greatest threats” under Nika.

He said those to be evacuated are from 2,500 barangays in the Ilocos and Cagayan Valley regions and Cordillera Administrative Region, which are likely to be affected by Nika. He said Nika is expected to bring heavy rains to these areas, which may cause flooding.

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Thirty-six areas were under storm warning signals, based on a bulletin issued at 8 p.m. yesterday by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Metro Manila was under signal No. 1.

PAGASA said Nika may make landfall in Isabela or northern Aurora this morning or early afternoon today.

“Regardless of the position of the landfall point, it must be emphasized that hazards on land and coastal waters may still be experienced in areas outside the landfall point or forecast confidence cone,” PAGASA said.

Nika, the country’s 14th tropical cyclone for this year and second for this month, was expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) tomorrow.

It was forecast to further intensify into a typhoon late Sunday and may reach its peak strength as a typhoon prior to landfall.

As of 7 p.m. yesterday, Nika was some 335 km east northeast of Infanta, Quezon or 330 km east of Baler, Aurora. It was moving west northwestward at 15 kph, packing maximum sustained winds of 110 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 135 kph.

Two other weather systems outside PAR are being monitored, said PAGASA administrator Nathaniel Servando.

One is a low pressure area (LPA) which is expected to intensify into a tropical depression, may enter the PAR tomorrow, and will be named “Ofel.”

The other, also an LPA, is likewise expected to intensify into a tropical depression and will be named Pepito if it enters the PAR.

STORM SIGNALS

The southeastern portion of Isabela and the northern portion of Aurora have been placed by PAGASA under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 3.

Sixteen areas were under Signal No. 2. These are the southern portion of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, northeastern portion of Pangasinan, central portion of Aurora, southern portion of mainland Cagayan, rest of Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, southern portion of Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, and northern portion of Nueva Ecija.

Under Signal No. 1, aside from Metro Manila, were 17 other areas – the rest of Cagayan (including Babuyan Island), rest of Apayao, rest of Ilocos Norte, rest of Pangasinan, rest of Aurora, Tarlac, northern and central portions of Zambales, rest of Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, eastern portion of Laguna, eastern portion of Quezon (including Polillo Islands), Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, and northeastern portion of Albay.

SATURATED SOIL

Remulla said the possibility of landslides in the risk areas in the three regions “is very high” because soil in these areas are already saturated because of the recent weather disturbances.

“We already issued advisory to all governors and mayors to advise all the 2,500 barangays that may be affected … to effect mandatory evacuation starting tonight (Sunday night),” Remulla told a press briefing at the NDRRMC office at Camp Aguinaldo.

“We have 16 hours to respond, you have 16 hours to evacuate,” Remulla told the local chief executives.

“We will do everything to convince them to evacuate. Mandatory evacuation means everyone (should be evacuated). We’ll understand if some would want to stay but we have to get them out,” he added.

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Remulla urged the people to cooperate when they are told to evacuate. He said “we don’t a repeat of the incident in Batangas,” referring to the landslides in the province during the onslaught of severe tropical storm “Kristine,” leaving scores of people dead.

Remulla assured the public that response measures are already in place, including prepositioning of relief goods.

He said are also on standby, ready for relief operations and search and rescue operations in isolated areas.

AID

President Marcos Jr. and sons Simon and Vince yesterday led the distribution of over P1 billion worth of assistance to areas affected by typhoon “Marce” in Cagayan and Ilocos Norte and Kristine in Batangas.

In Buguey in Cagayan, they oversaw the distribution of aid to the affected communities including family 1,800 family food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), 200 packs of five-kilo rice and 20 boxes of sardines from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and 1,000 packs of 10-kilo rice from the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).

The Department of Agriculture (DA) handed over P866.3 million to farmers, composed of hybrid rice seeds, fertilizer discount, vegetable seeds, native chickens, and ducks.

The President vowed to provide immediate aid to the seafood industry of Cagayan as soon as the DA completes its damage assessment.

He handed P10 million each in financial assistance, sourced from the Office of the President, to the municipalities of Aparri, Buguey, Sanchez-Mira, Santa Teresita, Baggao, Gattaran, Gonzaga and Santa Ana during the event.

Marcos assured the affected communities that aid, especially food and other relief items, would continue to be provided by the government, through DSWD, to those who had already left the evacuation centers or those who were displaced and currently staying with relatives or friends. NDRRMC data said there are around 3,000 families staying outside evacuation centers.

The NDRRMC said 15,518 families were affected by the onslaught of Marce in Cagayan including 6,395 families who are staying in evacuation centers in the province.

Five municipalities in the province had been flooded while 19 areas suffered power interruption during the height of the typhoon.

Marce made landfall in Santa Ana on November 7 and later in Sanchez-Mira, both Cagayan. Marce exited PAR on November 8.

FL IN BATANGAS

First Lady Marie Louise “Liza” Araneta Marcos led the distribution of aid to affected families in Talisay in Batangas.

The First Lady’s Libreng Laboratoryo, Konsulta, at Gamot Para sa Lahat (LAB for ALL) program was brought to Talisay along with the food and non-food assistance form DSWD and the DigiPlus Interactive firm.

Among those distributed were rice, medical kits, grocery boxes, family food packs, and cash.

A Philippine Navy transport ship is due to bring over 200 tons of food and non-food supplies to Batanes which was severely affected by past tropical cyclones Kristine, “Leon” and Marce.

Defense Secretary and NDRRMC chairman Gilberto Teodoro Jr said Teodoro said the delivery of the supplies, from government and non-government institutions, “is a testament to the strength of our collaboration across government agencies and the private sector.”

NDRRMC executive director and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) administrator Ariel Nepomuceno said the mission embodies the whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach in providing aid to those affected by the calamities.

The OCD said the items included 105.47 tons of assorted lumber and 12.30 tons of corrugated galvanized iron sheets needed for the repair for damaged houses and other structures.

AGRI DAMAGE

Initial cost of damage to the agriculture sector from Marce in the Ilocos and Cagayan Valley regions was at P277.75 million as of Friday, according to the Department of Agriculture’s.

The damage is equivalent to production loss of 796 metric tons (MT) of goods affecting 9,933 farmers and fishers in 15,670 hectares of affected areas.

Bulk of Marce’s recorded damage is from rice at P132.37 million equivalent to 766 MT from a total of 7,242 ha wherein 6,061 ha or 83.7 percent is partially damaged while the remaining 1,181 ha or 16.3 percent is totally damaged.

Rice damage was followed by 30 MT of high value crops worth P130.98 million, P13.27 million from 1,184 ha of corn, P1 million from infrastructures, machineries and equipment and the remaining P118,000 from 27 heads of livestock and poultry. – With Jocelyn Montemayor and Jed Macapagal

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