Northern Luzon braces for powerful typhoon

Typhoon “Lando” (international name: Koppu) is heading straight to northern Luzon which will see two days of intense rain and winds of up to 185 kilometers per hour from Sunday to Tuesday, the weather bureau warned on Friday.

The typhoon is forecast to hit land in Aurora or Isabela provinces late Saturday night or early Sunday, prompting storm alerts in nearly 20 provinces and placing military and police units on standby. The government said it has readied disaster relief personnel, equipment and goods.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said northern and Central Luzon will begin to feel the powerful typhoon’s effects Saturday as it nears the eastern coast of Aurora.
READ: Typhoon ‘Lando’ intensifies; Signal No. 3 up in 3 provinces / Aquino calls for calm as Lando threatens Luzon

As of Friday night, Lando was about 510 kilometers east of Baler, Aurora province, with maximum winds near the center of 130 kph and gusts up to 160 kph. It was forecast to gain strength before it reaches land.

According to Pagasa, Lando’s full impact will be felt beginning early Sunday, when the eye of the typhoon is forecast to reach the Luzon landmass somewhere over Aurora and Isabela.

For the next 48 hours, the eye of the 600-km diameter typhoon will slowly cross the adjoining provinces of Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Mountain Province, Abra and Ilocos Norte.

Pagasa forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said the typhoon will be moving so slowly that it will only exit the Luzon landmass from Ilocos Norte by early Tuesday. It is expected to remain within the Philippine area of responsibility until next Thursday.

For only the second time in his five-year presidency, President Benigno Aquino III on Friday directly addressed the country on the preparations for an oncoming typhoon.

The first was on Nov. 7, 2013, the day before Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) swept into the country and killed more than 6,000 people, mainly in the Eastern Visayas.

The President urged the public not to panic and to heed the warnings issued by the government as Lando approaches, assuring the people of government’s readiness to respond to the weather disturbance.

“I call on all Filipinos to avoid panicking. Let us prepare as we should—monitor the news and understand the warnings issued by national and local governments, from storm signals, rainfall warnings, storm surge advisories, and advisories regarding the necessary evacuations if needed,” Mr. Aquino said in a televised national address.

Using a Philippine map flashed on a screen, Mr. Aquino explained the path of Lando and the weather systems that would affect it.

“Lando’s movement is restricted by Typhoon ‘Champi’ behind it. There are also high pressure areas above Lando. Because of this, Lando will be making its way through our country at a slower pace,” he said.

Quoting the weather bureau, Mr. Aquino said heavy rainfall is expected to last for six to 12 hours.

“Furthermore, due to the accelerated evaporation caused by El Niño, there will be an increased intake of moisture, which will consequently increase the rainfall volume. Moreover, according to Pagasa, Lando’s winds may reach up to 185 kph, which means that we may raise Storm Signal No. 4 in affected areas,” he said.

Asked if government has learned its lessons from Yolanda, Mr. Aquino said his administration never stopped conducting studies on how to address and prepare for disasters.

“While humans have their limitations when we are up against Mother Nature, so to speak, we do our best for every agency involved in [disaster preparedness and response] to address the needs of the people as soon as possible,” he said.

He also emphasized that all local governments in the path of Lando are already expected to be prepared, such as readying evacuation centers and listing down a detailed plan on what they are expected to do.

Mr. Aquino gave a summary of the preparations of each government agency expected to respond as soon as Lando hits.

The President said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and its executive director Alex Pama will coordinate “among different government agencies, along with those from the private sector such as telecommunications and oil companies.”

Mr. Aquino told the public “not to worry” if they see an increased presence of soldiers and policemen in the areas expected to be affected by the typhoon.

“I assure you that they are there to help our first responders,” he said.

“It is clear: Your government is here to ensure that we will meet our goal of zero casualties. But I must emphasize: Each local government unit, community and Filipino that will be affected has the duty to cooperate in the collective action we are taking to overcome the challenges ahead,” Mr. Aquino added.

Silver lining

The President also chose to see the silver lining in the typhoon, saying it may “alleviate the effects of the El Niño” because of the heavy rains Lando would bring.

True enough, Pama on Friday said he was hopeful that Lando’s rains would be enough to replenish the country’s water supply.

“We are hopeful that the water that will come from the typhoon’s rains will be a blessing because we need the water during El Niño. We appeal to our countrymen to heed the warnings so that the rains will be a blessing,” he said.

Pama explained that with the typhoon’s current track toward northern and Central Luzon, it may bring rains over the Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija province.

The dam at present needs 21 meters of water to supply water to farms and homes in the province.

Central Luzon will feel the typhoon’s impact through occasional heavy rains from Sunday to Monday, according to Pagasa.

As of Friday night, Storm Signal No. 2 was raised over Aurora, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija and northern Quezon, including Polillo Island.

Storm Signal No. 1 was raised over the provinces of Cagayan, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Bulacan, Pampanga;

Tarlac, Zambales, Bataan, Rizal, Laguna, rest of Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes and Metro Manila.

Pagasa weather division chief Rene Paciente said a cyclone that has formed in the Pacific Ocean will not likely reach the Philippines but would affect Lando.

The NDRRMC went on “red alert” beginning Friday noon in anticipation of the typhoon’s landfall, according to spokesperson Romina Marasigan.

This means that all of the agency’s personnel are at their posts at the NDRRMC national operations center and in the regions expected to be affected by the weather disturbance.

The NDRRMC began issuing warnings yesterday to fisherfolk in Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon, particularly the provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Pampanga and Zambales not to go out to sea.

The military is also on standby for preemptive evacuations and humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations because of the typhoon.

In particular, the Armed Forces is monitoring landslide- and flood-prone areas where preemptive evacuations of residents may be conducted.

AFP public affairs office chief Col. Noel Detoyato said 3,000 troops from different units all over Luzon are on standby, bracing for the effects of the typhoon.

“There are 3,000 troops in different units which are in the typhoon’s path which we placed on alert. Specifically, it is the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) and the 7th Infantry Division which are on alert,” he said.

The 7th Infantry Division in Central Luzon, for example, has readied two M-35 trucks with six personnel as requested by the Department of Health (DOH) in the region.

The Nolcom is also preparing its air assets should it be needed, while Detoyato added that in case of massive damage, they are ready to augment the troops on standby with soldiers from other areas.

The NDRRMC said even the Southern Luzon Command and other units in Luzon are also prepared, if needed.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has readied P10,406,475.28 in standby funds in the Ilocos, Cagayan, Central Luzon and Cordillera Administrative Region.

The agency has also prepared P117,884,769.03 in food and nonfood items and 120,383 food packs in the said regions in anticipation of the typhoon.

The Philippine Air Force has placed its 505th Search and Rescue Group and all disaster response teams on standby.

Col. Enrico Canaya, Air Force spokesperson, said 14 rescue helicopters, 27 utility helicopters and five airlift aircraft are ready to conduct evacuations, humanitarian assistance and rescue operations.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau has warned against landslides in Aurora, Nueva Ecija and Pampanga. The Department of Science and Technology has been monitoring early warning systems in Aurora and Bataan.

In Central Luzon, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) regional office has issued warnings about landslide-prone areas in Dingalan, Aurora province, based on advisories from the bureau.

“We have appealed to the residents in mountainous areas in Dingalan to evacuate while it is still early because these are landslide-prone areas, we want to avoid casualties,” said Nigel Lontoc, deputy director for the OCD office in Central Luzon.

So far, there were no preemptive evacuations carried out in Central Luzon since the weather is still fair.

“The weather is still fair in Aurora. We have identified the schools which are not usually flooded to be used as evacuation centers,” Lontoc said.

He added that the DSWD is scheduled to deliver additional relief goods to Casiguran and Baler, while the DOH has already delivered additional medicines to Aurora.

Protect court records

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Friday reminded courts on the path of Lando to protect court records and secure property “to minimize and avoid loss and destruction.”

In an advisory, Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno issued a reminder to executive judges in La Union, Abra, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Zambales, Aurora and Isabela, directing them to monitor the weather bureau’s updates on the typhoon’s progress.

In a separate advisory, Court Administrator Midas Marquez also directed executive judges, presiding judges and clerks of court in affected areas to “exert all efforts” to make sure that court documents and property are protected as the typhoon passes. With Villamor Visaya Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon; Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon; Mar S. Arguelles, Inquirer Southern Luzon; and Tarra Quismundo