Gener to cross north Luzon, Pulasan outside PAR

MANILA, Philippines — The weather bureau on Monday afternoon was monitoring two cyclones, one expected to cross northern Luzon’s land area by Tuesday and the other seen to cross only the northeastern periphery of the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).

Nevertheless, the two weather disturbances—Tropical Depression Gener, which is projected to make landfall in Isabela or Aurora province by Tuesday morning, and Tropical Storm Pulasan, which will likely remain far from Luzon’s landmass—are still expected to intensify the southwest monsoon (habagat) on the heels of Tropical Storm Ferdie (international name: Bebinca), which stayed a relatively brief eight hours on Friday in waters north of Luzon.

READ: TD Gener keeps strength, to make landfall in Isabela or Aurora

Pulasan is seen to cross Philippine waters briefly on Tuesday night before it moves toward the East China Sea, weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in a briefing on Monday.

Pagasa senior weather specialist Glaiza Escullar said Gener would cross the northern Luzon landmass and reach the coastal waters of La Union or Pangasinan also on Tuesday morning.

She said Pagasa is not ruling out the possibility of Gener still developing into a tropical storm. In any case, it is also expected to leave PAR by Wednesday morning at the latest.

Pagasa has also raised tropical cyclone wind signal No. 1 over Cagayan, including Babuyan Islands, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Apayao, Kalinga, Abra, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Benguet, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Aurora and the northern portion of Quezon, including Polillo Islands.

Fatalities

Heavy to intense rainfall is also expected over Palawan, Occidental Mindoro, Aklan, Antique and Negros Occidental from Monday to Tuesday afternoon due to the southwest monsoon and Gener, according to Pagasa’s 5 p.m. advisory.

In Palawan, four people died after their communities were flooded due to heavy rains brought by habagat and Ferdie.

Two of the fatalities were Marilyn Aniar, 52, and Jenesie Dohinog, 66, both from Barangay Ransang in Rizal town. Their house was hit by a fallen coconut tree at 9 p.m. on Saturday.

The other fatalities were Janert Ubay, 38, who was swept by floodwaters in Roxas town on Sunday, and a 4-year-old boy who drowned in Barangay Tagburos, Puerto Princesa, after the boat carrying him and his parents encountered engine failure and capsized.

In Southern Leyte, a man died of electrocution on Saturday amid heavy rains and strong winds. Two others were injured.

According to the local police, the three were driving their motorcycles in Barangay Bulawan in Pintuyan town when strong winds knocked down coconut trees over electric wires. The victims tried to clear the road from fallen trees and wires but they touched live wires.

The fatality, identified only as “Ben,” suffered severe burns. The other two victims were taken to the Pintuyan District Hospital.

Missing fisherman

In Manticao town, Misamis Oriental, fisherman Leo Tecson, 62, was reported missing since Thursday last week amid heavy rains brought by habagat and Ferdie, prompting his family to plead with the municipal government to continue searching for him.

Tecson’s son Leonardo said his father went fishing in Iligan Bay in the morning of Sept. 11 and was expected to be home the next day, but had not returned by late afternoon of Thursday.

“We requested help from the LGU to rescue him from the usual area where he goes fishing,” Leonardo Tecson said after informing Manticao’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office about his missing father.

Tecson joined a search and rescue operation on Friday but rescuers still could not find his father. —with reports from Nestle Semilla-Dakay, Joey Gabieta, Carla Gomez, Allaine Kate Leda, Ma. April Mier-Manjares, Delfin T. Mallari Jr., Madonna T. Virola and Divina Suson