FOGGY FURY Volunteers clear the road of trees toppled by Typhoon “Ineng” (international name: Goni) in Barangay Guisad, Baguio City, on Friday. Stormy weather and heavy rains are still expected in Luzon, including Metro Manila, over the weekend. RICHARD BALONGLONG/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON
Five people, including a 10-year-old boy, were killed from landslides and floods while hundreds were evacuated as powerful Typhoon “Ineng” (international name: Goni) approached the northernmost regions of the country on Friday.
Ineng was still at sea Friday afternoon about 100 kilometers east of northern Calayan island, but pounded the northern Luzon provinces with intense rains and maximum sustained winds of 170 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 205 kph as it neared the Batanes group.
The typhoon will continue to bring stormy weather over northern Luzon and heavy rains elsewhere in Luzon, including Metro Manila, over the weekend, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
The eye of Ineng will come close to the country’s northernmost islands by Saturday morning, without making landfall, Pagasa said.
It is then forecast to pick up speed and change track, veering northeast away from Batanes and toward Japan.
The typhoon will be out of the country’s area of responsibility by Sunday night or Monday morning, but the monsoon rains it has triggered will persist until late next week, said Pagasa weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio.
According to Aurelio, because of the typhoon’s lingering effects on the prevailing southwest monsoon, Northern and Central Luzon will continue to experience rains until next Thursday or Friday, while the rest of Luzon, including Metro Manila, may expect the weather to clear by Monday.
Pagasa maintained public storm signal No. 3 over the Batanes group of islands and northern Cagayan, including the Babuyan and Calayan islands; Signal No. 2 over the rest of Cagayan, northern Isabela Kalinga, Apayao, Abra and Ilocos Norte; and Signal No. 1 over the rest of Isabela, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Benguet, La Union and Ilocos Sur.
Markim Cielo, 21, and his brother Erwin, 26, were buried by a mudslide that fell on a tent that they had pitched beside the road in Sitio Takayan, Gambang, Benguet, at 4 a.m.Friday, said Insp. Joyce Ann Dayag of the Benguet police.
The police were trying to determine why the brothers decided to set up a tent at the height of the storm.
A landslide in Mt. Province killed a 10-year-old boy and injured his 9-year-old brother, the Associated Press reported, quoting local civil defense official Andrew Alex Uy.
In the Ilocos region, police said a motorcycle rider died at 11 a.m. yesterday when he was pinned down by a mango tree in Badio village. The man has not been identified.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported that a man died at the height of the typhoon on Thursday in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte, but no details were given.
The OCD also reported a missing person in Naguilian, La Union.
Evacuated
Close to a thousand people in flood-prone towns in Batanes and Cagayan province and the Cordillera provinces were moved to shelters, civil defense and social welfare officials said.
As of Friday, 135 families, or 421 people, from three barangays in Batanes and five barangays in Cagayan are now staying in evacuation centers, authorities said.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it has also prepositioned relief goods to provinces which are under public storm warning signals.
“DSWD disaster teams continue to be on alert to provide resource augmentation and assistance in disaster operations when necessary,” said Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman.
In Baguio City, Ineng’s winds toppled at least 10 primary electric poles, forcing the Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco) to shut down power throughout the mountain resort, said Gerardo Versoza, Beneco general manager.
The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines said Mt. Province also lost power.
Except for Kennon Road that was affected by rockslides or was blocked by fallen trees, the Marcos Highway and Naguilian Road were passable, but thick fog in these areas forced traffic in Baguio to slow down, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Landslides also affected the Guisset section of the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya Road in Itogon town, a portion of the Baguio-Bua-Itogon road, and the road linking the Benguet towns of Bokod, Kabayan and Buguias.
Record rainfall
For a six-hour period from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Pagasa recorded the highest rainfall amount in Baguio City (81 millimeters; Laoag City (77mm); Calayan, Cagayan (75 mm); Tanay, Rizal (64mm); Ambuklao, Batangas (53mm); and Aparri, Cagayan (52mm)—all within the moderate to heavy rainfall range.
In terms of accumulated rainfall, the highest rainfall amount so far was recorded in Basco, Batanes; Calayan, Cagayan; Aparri, Cagayan; Itbayat; and Laoag City, according to Pagasa.
Pagasa said stormy weather with rough to very rough seas will prevail over Batanes, Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Kalinga, Apayao, Abra and Cagayan, including the Calayan and Babuyan group of islands.
It warned of rains with gusty winds over the rest of Cordillera, La Union and Ilocos Sur and monsoon rains that may trigger flashfloods and landslides over Pangasinan, Zambales and Bataan.
It said Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon and Visayas will have occasional rains.
Pagasa also maintained its gale warning to fishing vessels and small seacraft as the typhoon stirred very rough seas over the seaboards of central and southern Luzon and the eastern seaboard of Visayas.
A storm surge, or huge waves whipped up by the typhoon in the open sea, up to 2.5 meters in coastal areas in Northern Luzon was also possible, it added.
Aurelio, in particular, warned of a storm surge in the Lingayen Gulf. With reports from Kimberlie Quitasol, Gabriel Cardinoza and Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon, AFP and AP
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