Enteng aftermath: Naga declares ‘calamity’; verified deaths at 10

ANTIPOLO RESCUE OPS Rescuers and residents in Sitio Banaba, Barangay San Luis, Antipolo City, put their hopes on a taut rope as they search for three people who went missing in a landslide caused by Enteng. The effects of the tropical storm are still being felt at an Antipolo shelter and in Tondo, Manila, (insets) as of Tuesday. —Niño Jesus Orbeta and Richard A. Reyes

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Storm Enteng (international name: Yagi) has intensified into a severe tropical storm even as it started to make its way outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Tuesday.

At least 10 people have died due to the effects of the severe tropical storm, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), with the highest death toll recorded in the Calabarzon region.

This was lower than the number gathered from various local governments, which was already at 13 as of Monday, but the NDRRMC said the other fatalities have yet to be validated.

READ: Enteng intensifies into severe tropical storm

Aside from the seven deaths in Calabarzon, two more were recorded in Central Visayas and one in Western Visayas, the NDRRMC said in its latest bulletin on Tuesday.

It added that 10 people were injured in Central Visayas.

Details about the fatalities have yet to be released, although local officials said the seven deaths in Calabarzon, who were from Antipolo City in Rizal, were due to landslides and drowning.

The NDRRMC reported that 147,024 individuals or 37,867 families in Metro Manila and the regions of Calabarzon, Central Luzon, Bicol, Western Visayas, and Central Visayas have been affected by Enteng so far.

Of the total, 41,988 were from Metro Manila while Bicol region accounted for the highest number of affected individuals at 85,856.

The NDRRMC also said that 38,058 individuals or 8,866 families, had sought shelter at 218 evacuation centers nationwide, while the damage to infrastructure was at P200,000.

In Naga City, Camarines Sur, a state of calamity has been declared after widespread flooding in at least 18 villages killed three residents.

Above average rainfall

The city council approved a resolution on the declaration of a state of calamity on Monday after rainfall brought by Enteng reached 300 to 400 millimeters in different areas, exceeding Naga’s monthly average of 200 millimeters, based on a memorandum issued by Mayor Nelson Legacion.

A state of calamity will allow the city to tap its quick response fund for aid to flood victims.

Classes at all levels at private and public schools remained suspended on Tuesday after school officials said they were not prepared to reopen just yet, according to Legacion.

Work in the government and private sectors, however, has resumed.

Legacion reported that as of 9 a.m. Tuesday, some areas in Barangay Mabolo were still submerged in knee-deep floods.

Classes at all levels in private and public schools in Camarines Norte and some parts of Albay also remained suspended on Tuesday due to widespread floods and landslides caused by the severe tropical storm.

Landslides in Bulacan

Camarines Norte Gov. Ricarte Padilla said this was “to ensure the safety of students in light of the ongoing impact and threats brought by Enteng.”

In Bulacan, a total of 11,492 people from 17 out of 24 towns and cities in the province were moved to higher ground on Monday due to floods reaching up to five feet.

The Bulacan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office also reported incidents of landslides in mountainous areas.

SAFE FROM THE STORM Evacuees from Barangay San Luis in Antipolo City, Rizal, make a modular tent at the barangay hall grounds their temporary home as they seek shelter from strong rains brought by Enteng on Tuesday. —Niño Jesus Orbeta

Bocaue, where the floodwaters reached up to 4 feet, had six barangays evacuated, making it one of the most affected areas alongside the City of Meycauayan.

Power not yet normal

More than 4,000 customers of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) were continuing to experience service power interruptions as of Tuesday.

Meralco said those affected were in Metro Manila, Cavite, and Rizal provinces, with over 2,000 located in flooded areas.

“With [the] majority of the remaining customers in areas still affected by floods, we would like to ask for their patience and understanding as we have to follow protocols and prioritize their safety,” Meralco vice president and head of Corporate Communications Joe Zaldarriaga said in a statement.

“Rest assured that our crew and personnel are working round the clock to restore electricity service to all remaining affected customers at the soonest possible time,” he added.

Airports operated by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), meanwhile, remained operational with no damage reported amid the effects of Enteng.

Latest Pagasa bulletin

In a statement on Tuesday, the CAAP said its operations center recorded a total of 38 domestic flight cancellations at various airports due to bad weather.

As of 10 a.m., the Manila International Airport Authority reported that at least 24 flights at Ninoy Aquino International Airport were canceled because of continuing bad weather due to the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat).

The affected flights included those bound for or coming from Basco, Laoag, Tuguegarao, Cauayan in Isabela, Virac, Naga, Busuanga, and San Jose in Occidental Mindoro.

Based on Pagasa’s 5 p.m. bulletin, Enteng was last spotted at 165 kilometers west-northwest of Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, with maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center. It was moving west-northwestward at 10 km/h. —with reports from Rey Anthony Ostria, April Mier-Manjares, Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Nestor Corrales, Dempsey Reyes, Lisbet K. Esmael and Jerome Aning