Gov’t work, Metro classes suspended due to Carina

NO FREE PASSAGE Enterprising individuals arrange chairs on a portion of Taft Avenue in Manila on Tuesday, charging a small fee from people who wanted to avoid wading through floodwaters caused by heavy rains due to the combined effects of Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon. —Richard A. Reyes

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang ordered on Tuesday the suspension of work in government offices and classes at all levels in both public and private schools in Metro Manila amid incessant rains brought about by the combined effects of Typhoon Carina (international name: Gaemi) and the southwest monsoon.

The bad weather also led to the cancellation of 34 flights at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) as the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reported flooding in some areas in the National Capital Region (NCR), which resulted in heavy traffic.

“In view of the continuous rainfall brought about by the southwest monsoon and Typhoon Carina, work in government offices and classes in all levels in the NCR are hereby suspended at 2 p.m. today, July 23,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said in Memorandum Circular 57.

Bersamin issued the memorandum as Carina brought rains to Metro Manila and the western parts of Luzon as it continued to intensify while moving north-northwestward.

READ: 8 dead, 1 missing due to Butchoy, Carina – NDRRMC

But he clarified that government agencies involved in the delivery of basic health services, disaster and calamity preparedness and other “vital” services should continue with their operations.

“The suspension of work for private companies and offices are left to the discretion of their respective heads,” Bersamin said.

READ: Carina halts air, sea trips in parts of Luzon

At Naia, 34 inbound and outbound flights were canceled on Tuesday, including four that were diverted to other areas due to bad weather in Metro Manila.

These were Cebu Pacific flight 5J-326 from Legazpi, which was diverted to Iloilo; AirAsia flight Z2-712 from Kalibo, which was diverted to Clark; flight Z2-618 from Davao, which was diverted to Kalibo; and Malaysia Airlines flight MH-806 from Kuala Lumpur, which was directed to Clark.

Canceled as of 5 p.m. were Cebu Pacific, Cebgo, PAL Express and AirSwift flights to or from Basco, Laoag, Tuguegarao, Busuanga, Romblon, San Jose, Naga, Tacloban, Pagadian, and Davao airports. One international flight, Shenzhen Airlines flight ZH-9011 bound for Shenzhen, China, and its return trip, ZH-9012, were also canceled.

In an advisory, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said the operations of Basco Airport in Batanes and Palanan Airport in Isabela were suspended due to the typhoon. All flights were canceled.

Flooded areas

Based on the MMDA’s monitoring, the heavy rains caused gutter-deep to eight-inch high floods on Edsa-Balintawak, Dario Bridge along Edsa, and E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue corner Gregorio Araneta Avenue in Quezon City; Edsa-Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City; MacArthur Highway corner Calle Uno in Caloocan City; Andrews Avenue corner Aurora Boulevard in Pasay; and Bonifacio Drive corner 25th Street and España Boulevard corner M. dela Fuente Street in Manila.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said its disaster response command center was on “red alert” due to the typhoon, with its manpower and resources on duty and ready for deployment to affected areas.

Around P190,124 worth of humanitarian aid has been extended to 224 families or 975 individuals in Central Luzon, Bicol and Western Visayas, according to the DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center.

To ensure that assistance would immediately be extended to evacuees, P2.5 billion worth of relief goods have been stockpiled at its warehouses and field offices, in addition to around 1.5 million boxes of family food packs ready for distribution.

Weather update

Carina, which was located 325 kilometers east northeast of Basco, Batanes, with winds of up to 150 kilometers per hour, would continue to dump “heavy to intense” rains in the next two days, according to the 5 p.m. forecast of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geographic and Astronomical Services Administration.

While expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility by Thursday morning when it heads toward the northern part of Taiwan, the typhoon is projected to strengthen the southwest monsoon.

“Serious flooding” is expected in Babuyan Islands and the provinces of Batanes, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Benguet, and heavy rainfall in these areas would continue until Thursday, Pagasa said.

Strong winds, on the other hand, are expected until Wednesday in many provinces, including Metro Manila.