AS forecast earlier, typhoon “Julian” reentered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) yesterday morning and later made landfall in Taiwan.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), in a bulletin issued at 5 p.m., said Julian was some 255 km north northeast of Itbayat, Batanes as of 4 p.m. yesterday. It was moving east northeastward at 10 kph, packing maximum sustained winds of 120 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 200 kph.
PAGASA said Julian re-entered the PAR at 8 a.m. yesterday, two days after exiting.
PAGASA said Julian made landfall in southern Taiwan yesterday afternoon.
Considering its proximity to the Philippines, a portion of Taiwan is considered to be part of the PAR for the purpose of PAGASA’s monitoring weather disturbances only.
“Despite its re-entry in the PAR region, no direct effect is anticipated over the country,” PAGASA said, referring to Julian.
No area is under any tropical cyclone warning.
Julian is expected to continue weakening, PAGASA said.
“This tropical cyclone is forecast to become a remnant low over Taiwan
tomorrow (today),” it added.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 58,953 families or 211,000 persons in 747 barangays in the Ilocos, Cagayan Valley region, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) were affected by Julian as of yesterday morning.
Of the number, 3,326 families or 11,797 persons have been displaced. The number, however, was down to 938 families or 3,171 as of yesterday.
Two persons (Ilocos region and CAR) have died, based on the NDRRMC’s official count.
The NDRRMC said one person remains missing and eight others were injured.
Earlier field reports showed four deaths — two in Ilocos Norte, one in Ilocos Sur and one in Cagayan.
The NDRRMC said Ilocos Norte and Batanes have declared a state of calamity.
Initial cost of damage to the agriculture sector is at P481.27 million, according to the Department of Agriculture’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center.
The DA attached agency said the cost of damage in the Ilocos, Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon regions is equivalent to 19,151 metric tons (MT) of goods tended by 20,134 farmers and fisherfolk in 13,488 hectares of affected areas.
Bulk of recorded damage is from rice at P348.42 million equivalent to 17,585 MT, followed by P92.68 million of irrigation facilities, and another P35.75 million from 1,514 MT of corn.
Also damaged was P3.96 million worth of high-value crops and P472,550 worth of livestock and poultry.
DA said among forms assistance available for distribution to affected farmers and fishers are bags of rice, corn and vegetable seeds as well as bio-control measures.
The agency added there is also the Survival and Recovery Loan Program from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council with loanable amount of up to P25,000 payable in three years at zero interest; quick response fund for the rehabilitation of affected areas; and indemnification from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp.
The Department of Social Welfare and development (DSWD) said over P22 million worth of aid has been sent to Julian-affected areas in the Northern Luzon area.
Ariel Nepomuceno, administrator of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD), led the delivery of food packs and other non-food relief items to Batanes.
DSWD said the P22 million aid wad distributed to the affected communities in the Ilocos and Cagayan Valley regions and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
It said 62,790 families or 224,175 persons from 771 barangays from the three regions have been affected by Julian, including 86 families (260 persons) who are now staying in 17 evacuation centers and 293 families (1,428 persons) who are staying with relatives or friends.
DSWD Assistant Secretary and co-spokesman Juan Carlo Marquez said apart from the food packs, the agency’s regional office in Cagayan Valley has also started providing psychosocial first aid to the evacuees in Batanes. — With Jed Macapagal and Jocelyn Montemayor
