ON TO SAFETY Patients with COVID-19 being treated in tents in the parking lot of the Cagayan Valley Medical Center in Tuguegarao City are being transferred inside the hospital on Friday in anticipation strong rains and winds by incoming Typhoon “Kiko.” —PHOTO COURTESY OF CAGAYAN VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER
TUGUEGARAO CITY—The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) in Cagayan Valley on Friday ordered local governments in the region to begin preemptive evacuation in areas that are in the path of Typhoon “Kiko” (international name Chanthu).
Harold Cabreros, director of the OCD in the region, said all of the agency’s local operation centers were placed on red alert in anticipation of the impact of Kiko, which maintained its strength on Friday morning as it crossed extreme northern Luzon.
Kiko entered the country while Eastern Visayas, Western Visayas, Calabarzon and Southern Luzon regions were still reeling from the effect of last Tuesday’s Typhoon “Jolina” (internationsl name: Conson) with losses to agriculture and fisheries pegged at P270.39 million affecting 11,499 farmers and fishers, according to the Department of Agriculture.
Cabreros, in a memorandum, said minimum public health standards should still be enforced while carrying out mass evacuation.
In Cagayan province, Gov. Manuel Mamba ordered the suspension of online classes and work in both government and private offices, except for disaster-response workers, due to the typhoon.
The Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC) in Tuguegarao City brought inside the hospital the COVID-19 patients who were temporarily staying in tents outside the facility in anticipation of heavy rain, said Dr. Glenn Matthew Baggao, chief of CVMC, said in a television interview on Friday.
Storm signals
The center of Kiko’s eye was spotted around 190 kilometers east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, at 2 p.m. on Friday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
It packed a maximum sustained winds of 195 km per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 240 kph, moving westward at 20 kph.
The extreme northeastern portion of Cagayan (Santa Ana, Gonzaga), the eastern portion of Babuyan Islands (Babuyan, Didicas), Camiguin Island, Pamuktan Island, Calayan Island, Panulitan Island, the southern portion of Batanes (Basco, Mahatao, Uyugan, Ivana, Sabtang) were placed under Signal No. 3.
Signal No. 2 was hoisted over the rest of Batanes, the rest of Babuyan Islands, the remaining eastern portion of mainland Cagayan (Aparri, Camalaniugan, Lal-Lo, Gattaran, Baggao, Peñablanca, Buguey, Santa Teresita, Tuguegarao City, Iguig, Amulung, Alcala, Allacapan, Lasam, Ballesteros, Abulug), the northeastern portion of Isabela (San Pablo, Maconacon, Divilacan, Palanan), and the northeastern portion of Apayao (Flora, Santa Marcela, Luna, Pudtol).
Under Signal No. 1 were the rest of mainland Cagayan, the eastern portion of Ilocos Norte (Pagudpud, Adams, Dumalneg, Bangui, Vintar, Carasi, Nueva Era, Burgos, Pasuquin, Bacarra, Laoag City, Piddig, Solsona, Dingras, Sarrat, San Nicolas), the rest of Apayao, the northern portion of Kalinga (Balbalan, Pinukpuk, City of Tabuk, Rizal), the eastern portion of Mountain Province (Paracelis), the northeastern portion of Abra (Tineg, Lacub, Malibcong), the northwestern and southeastern portions of Isabela (Santa Maria, Quezon, Mallig, Roxas, San Manuel, Cabatuan, Aurora, City of Cauayan, Angadanan, San Guillermo, Dinapigue, San Mariano, Cabagan, Santo Tomas, Delfin Albano, Tumauini, Quirino, Burgos, Gamu, Ilagan City, Luna, Reina Mercedes, Naguilian, Benito Soliven), and the northern portion of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran). —REPORTS FROM VILLAMOR VISAYA JR. , JOHN MICHAEL MUGAS AND RONNEL W. DOMINGO