Source: Pagasa | December 19, 4:40 PM
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY—The local governments in Palawan are on “blue alert” status as Tropical Depression Vicky brings moderate to heavy rains in northern and central Palawan as it is expected to make landfall in the island province on Saturday afternoon.
The Palawan provincial disaster risk reduction management office (PDRRMO) in its 3 p.m. bulletin declared “no sail policy” in all sea ports in the province including island municipalities of Coron, El Nico, Cuyo, Kalayaan, Agutaya, Dumaran, Balabac, San Vicente, Linapacan, Araceli, and Cagayancillo.
The gale warning advisory is still up in northern seaboards of Luzon and eastern portion of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao seaboards due to the intensity of northeast monsoon.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration in a separate bulletin estimated the tropical depression at 245 km east southeast of Kalayaan Islands and will be at 225 km south southwest the island, outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Sunday morning.
The Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal (TWCS) No. 1 is now raised only in northern and central portions of Palawan including towns of Araceli, Dumaran, Taytay, El Nido, San Vicente, Roxas, Aborlan, Narra, Quezon, Sofronio Española, city of Puerto Princesa and islands of Calamian, Cuyo, Cagayancillo, and Kalayaan.
Weather specialist Raymond Ordinario said that tropical depression Vicky has maximum winds of 45 kph and gustiness up to 55 kph. It is moving westward at a speed of 20 kph.
Aside from tropical depression Vicky, the tail-end of frontal system and the northeast monsoon will also bring rainy weekend on most parts of the Palawan province.
In the Kalayaan Group of Islands, Maurice Phillip Albayda, administrative officer, said that around 70 to 90 local residents were preemptively evacuated to the municipal training center in the municipal hall building.
Community-based flood early warning system has been installed in the village of Maoyon in Puerto Princesa City, according to Earl Timbancaya, chief of City Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Office.