AS NIKA APPROACHES President Marcos on Sunday leads the distribution of various aid packages to families in Buguey town in Cagayan, among the provinces worst hit by Typhoon Marce (international name: Yinxing). —Presidential Communications Office
MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos pledged on Sunday that the national government would ensure the sustained delivery of aid until people ravaged by Typhoon Marce (international name: Yinxing) in northern Luzon can recover from the devastation.
At the same time, evacuations and storm preparations are underway as forecasters projected that Severe Tropical Storm Nika (international name: Toraji) is expected to make landfall in Isabela or Aurora on Monday morning or afternoon.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its 5 p.m. advisory on Sunday that Nika is forecast to reach typhoon category and reach its peak intensity of around 130 kilometers per hour before making landfall.
READ: 2 Luzon areas under Signal No. 3 as Nika slows down over PH sea
“The tropical cyclone will then traverse mainland northern Luzon and emerge over the West Philippine Sea [on Monday] evening. Afterward, Nika will continue moving west-northwestward and exit the Philippine area of responsibility by Tuesday afternoon,” it added.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 was raised over the northern portion of Aurora, Isabela, Quirino, the southern portion of mainland Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, the southern portion of Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, the northern portion of Nueva Ecija, the southern portion of Ilocos Sur, La Union and the northeastern portion of Pangasinan.
The rest of Cagayan, including Babuyan Islands, Apayao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, Aurora, Tarlac, the northern and central portions of Zambales, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Rizal, the eastern portion of Laguna, the eastern portion of Quezon, including Polillo Islands, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, and the northeastern portion of Albay, were placed under Signal No. 1.
The weather bureau is also tracking two potential tropical cyclones in the coming days, which will be named Ofel and Pepito. Both are expected to follow the same path as Nika.
Response measures
In a press briefing, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said 2,500 barangays prone to flooding and landslides in the regions of Ilocos, Cagayan, Central Luzon, and Cordillera were notified to evacuate starting Sunday night.
“We have 16 hours to respond. We have 16 hours to evacuate. We are prepared on the ground as far as national agencies and first responders are concerned, but it’s a matter of cooperation of our population to evacuate,” Remulla said.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., who chairs the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), also met with key government officials at Camp Aguinaldo on Sunday to coordinate disaster response measures in anticipation of the new storm.
Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, deputy administrator for operations of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), urged regional directors to activate local interagency coordination cells to ensure rapid communication with local authorities.
OCD Director Agnes Palacio said affected regions in Nika’s projected path should have available data and resources for swift preparedness planning.
Nika also prompted authorities to evacuate 1,500 families or about 8,000 people from low-lying areas in Camarines Sur by Sunday afternoon, according to Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte.
On Saturday, his son Camarines Gov. Vincenzo Renato Luigi Villafuerte ordered mandatory evacuations and suspended classes at all levels at public and private schools in anticipation of Nika.
Marce assessment
In a speech in Buguey town in Cagayan, Marcos expressed relief that no casualties were reported after Marce hit large parts of Cagayan and Ilocos Norte provinces with gusts of up to 240 kph.
“If you still need anything, let us know. You have the regional and provincial offices of the different national agencies, [and] as much as possible, as long as we can, as long as we’re able to do it—and even if it’s beyond our ability, we’ll find a way to make it happen because we can’t simply leave people behind,” he vowed.
“And we won’t stop until you can truly say that you can do it on your own and no longer need the help of the government,” the President added.
The President led members of his Cabinet and local officials in visiting ravaged communities in Cagayan and Ilocos Norte, which bore the brunt of Marce as it made landfall at the northern tip of the Luzon mainland on Saturday afternoon.
“The very good news that we have on the passage of Marce is that nationwide, we do not have any casualty because of the prompt evacuation of residents,” he said.
He expressed delight that residents heeded officials’ warning about the dangers of the typhoon.
Financial assistance
He pledged to help in the recovery of Cagayan’s seafood industry, mainly through the Department of Agriculture (DA).
“Not so much with crops, but your fisheries sector bore much of the damage, and because you are considered the crab capital of the Philippines on which many rely for their livelihood, we have to do everything that we can to have [the industry] restored,” he told fisherfolk of Buguey, which celebrates its annual Crab Festival every October.
The President directed the Department of Education and Department of Public Works and Highways to undertake immediate repairs of damaged school buildings and other related infrastructure.
The Department of Labor and Employment, meanwhile, will provide emergency employment to displaced farmers and fisherfolk through the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (Tupad), he said.
According to official data from the NDRRMC, Marce affected a total of 15,518 families in Cagayan, 6,395 of whom were sheltered at evacuation centers.
More than 3,000 families were staying outside evacuation centers, the NDRRMC said.
From Cagayan, the President proceeded to his home province of Ilocos Norte, where he led the handing over of up to P70 million in livelihood and financial assistance to residents affected by Marce.
He also handed over P50 million in financial assistance from the Office of the President to Ilocos Norte Vice Gov. Cecilia Araneta-Marcos. —with reports from Michael B. Jaucian, Ma. April Mier-Manjares and Delfin T. Mallari Jr.