Severe Tropical Storm Maring lashes North Luzon; 1 dead

MANILA, Philippines — A security guard drowned in Cagayan province on Monday as Severe Tropical Storm Maring (international name: Kompasu) lashed northern Luzon with heavy rains and strong winds reaching 95 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 115 kph.

Police Brig. Gen. Steve Ludan, Cagayan Valley regional police director, said that Pedro Sanguilan, a 27-year-old guard at the port of Claveria town, was inspecting the causeway when he fell into the water and was swept away by huge waves.

His body was retrieved along the shoreline of Barangay Taggat Norte, also in Claveria, over an hour later.

In Baggao town, emergency responders began evacuating families in at least three low-lying areas in Barangay Taytay due to the threat of floods and landslides.

Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba ordered the suspension of online classes at the preschool, elementary and secondary levels for public and private schools.

Virtual classes were also suspended in Isabela; in some parts of the Cordillera provinces of Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Apayao and in Baguio City; and in Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte.

In a press briefing, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) weather specialist Joey Figuracion said that Maring was forecast to pass very close or over Babuyan Islands on Monday night.

Tropical cyclone wind signal No. 2 was hoisted over Batanes, Cagayan, the Babuyan Islands, the northern portion of Isabela, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Abra, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, where “damaging gale- to storm-force winds” were prevailing or expected until Tuesday.

Storm signal No. 1 was declared over the rest of Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Ifugao, Benguet, La Union, Pangasinan, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, and the northern portions of Bataan and Quezon, including Polillo Islands and Calaguas Islands.

Moving westward, Maring was expected to leave Philippine territory by Tuesday morning and head toward southern China.

—REPORTS FROM VILLAMOR VISAYA JR., KIMBERLIE QUITASOL, JOHN MICHAEL MUGAS, ARMAND GALANG AND JHESSET O. ENANO INQ