Coast Guard units on heightened alert for ‘Glenda’

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard headquarters in Manila has placed on “heightened alert” all PCG units in Bicol, Southern Tagalog and the National Capital Region, which are expected to be in the path of Tropical Storm “Glenda” (international name: Rammasun).

Commander Armand Balilo, the PCG spokesperson, said on Monday “all maritime activities in Bicol (Region V) had been suspended as of 4 a.m. today” (July 14).

Operators of fishing boats and interisland vessels in that region, which groups the provinces of Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon and Catanduanes, have been advised to avoid sailing due to rough sea conditions.

The Department of Transportation and Communications-attached command also reminded inter-island vessels to refrain from sailing once a public storm signal has been hoisted by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Administration in areas which would be affected by Glenda.

In a text message to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Balilo, also chief of the PCG’s Public Affairs Office, said they have “alerted our search-and-rescue teams in these areas.”

“We are also closely monitoring the fishing communities, particularly those in the Bicol provinces,” he added.

The storm is expected to bring heavy to intense rains over a wide swath of Luzon, including Metro Manila, early this week after it entered the Philippine area of responsibility, according to Pagasa.

Rains will be felt beginning late Monday night, according to Pagasa.

The agency has warned that the Bicol region and Quezon province will experience intense rains starting Tuesday as Glenda moves towards Central Luzon.

Regions III, IV-A and the NCR will also experience rains and gusty winds starting Tuesday, and the weather is expected to turn stormy by Tuesday night.

In a news conference Sunday night, Pagasa officials warned of floods and landslides in Central Luzon and some areas in Ilocos (Region I) and Cagayan Valley (Region II) as a result of the storm.

If it maintained its current path, Glenda would make landfall over Aurora province.

The storm would exit over the province of Zambales or Bataan on Thursday, Pagasa added.