Mindanao, Visayas brace for ‘Ramon’

THE FLOOD BEFORE THE STORM Students pick their way across flooded fields in Iponan village, Cagayan de Oro City, on Tuesday after classes were canceled when the Iponan River overflowed. Torrential rains brought by Tropical Storm “Ramon” triggered the floods, prompting government officials to order evacuation of hundreds of families in two Cagayan de Oro villages. BOBBY LAGSA/INQUIRER MINDANAO

The Visayas and Mindanao on Tuesday braced for Tropical Storm “Ramon,” which grew stronger and bigger as it approached southern Philippines.

As of 4 a.m. Wednesday, Ramon was spotted 80 kilometers east northeast of Surigao City, but heavy rains and fierce winds were already whipping coastal provinces in northeastern Mindanao and eastern Visayas.

The storm’s eye was expected to touch down in Southern Leyte Wednesday morning and cross Central Visayas, traveling northwest at 17 kph.

Classified as a depression on Monday morning, Ramon has strengthened into a tropical storm on Tuesday with winds of 65 kilometers per hour that were gusting at 80 kph, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

Its diameter has also expanded to 400 km from 300 km on Monday, and was anticipated to dump 10-30 millimeters of rainfall every hour, Pagasa said.

But it was seen to spare the typhoon-battered and flood-weary regions in Luzon and directly hit the northern tip of Mindanao and central Philippines.

Pagasa Administrator Nathaniel Servando said Ramon would bring moderate to heavy rains, landslides, floods, and storm surges in the Visayas and Mindanao in the next few days.

“The Agusan River is overflowing. This will affect many municipalities,” said Pagasa senior weather specialist Rene Paciente.

He called on residents in Ramon’s path to heed evacuation orders by local disaster officials.

Storm signals

In its 5 a.m. advisory on Wednesday, Pagasa hoisted Storm Signal No. 2 over Western Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte Provinces, Biliran, Camotes Island, Northern Cebu, Bohol, Surigao del Norte, Siargao Island, Surigao del Sur, Dinagat Island, Camiguin Island and Agusan del Norte.

Signal No. 1 was raised over Northern Samar, Panay Island, Guimaras, Negros Provinces, rest of Cebu, Siquijor Island, Misamis Oriental and Agusan del Sur.

In Luzon, the provinces of Marinduque, Mindoro Provinces, Romblon, Camarines Sur, Southern Quezon, Catanduanes, Albay, Burias Island, Sorsogon, Masbate and Ticao Island were also under Signal No. 1.

Models showed that Ramon would exit via Mindoro and graze southern Luzon, including Metro Manila, on Thursday. It was expected to be 40 km northeast of Roxas City by Thursday morning and at 160 km west northwest of Calapan, Oriental Mindoro by Friday morning. By Saturday morning, it will be at 410 km west northwest of Subic, Zambales.

“We might raise Signal No. 1 in Manila,” Paciente said.

The Department of Education (DepEd) said local school officials had “the initiative to check weather conditions in their areas.”

“We remind school heads to make the necessary preparations to secure school facilities and equipment and to ensure the safety of students,” it said.

Per DepEd policy, classes from preschool to high school are automatically suspended in areas under Storm Signal No. 2.  Local school officials may also call off classes even without a storm signal in case weather conditions become too risky for students to come to school.

First in 17 years

STORM 'RAMON' The predicted path of Ramon. PAGASA

Southern Leyte is on high alert in anticipation of its first typhoon since 1994, when it was hit by “Bising.” The supertyphoon left one dead and destroyed millions of pesos worth of crops and infrastructure.

Governor Damian Mercado said he had ordered all local executives and risk reduction management councils to prepare for Ramon’s onslaught.

“We should be vigilant [for floods and landslides] because it has been a long time since we had a typhoon,” Mercado said.

According to Manny Gonzalez, head of Pagasa in Southern Leyte, four supertyphoons have hammered the province—two Bisings (1982 and 1994), “Nitang” in 1984 and “Ruping” in 1990.

Classes were suspended at the elementary level in Southern Leyte in anticipation of heavy rains and flooding.

The provincial government also warned families living in coastal and landslide- and flood-prone areas to be prepared to leave their homes if the need arose.

Classes were also suspended in the preschool level in the rest of Eastern Visayas, in the elementary level in Pilar town on Camotes Island, and in the elementary and high school levels in Bantayan town on Bantayan Island.

Stranded, grounded

Rey Gozon, acting director of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Eastern Visayas, said 30 people had been stranded in ports in Hindang, Leyte, and Liloan, Southern Leyte, since Monday night.

Ferry boats were not allowed to leave the Liloan ports, affecting three trucks loaded with 18 passengers bound for Lipata, Surigao del Norte, and 12 passengers and 12 trucks bound for Cebu, Gozon said.

Fast craft bound for Cebu were also stopped at the ports Tuesday morning, he said.

The Cebu Coast Guard grounded 33 passenger vessels that were bound for Bohol and Leyte.

Rolando Punzalan, Cebu Coast Guard station commander, said the passenger vessels were not allowed to leave the ports of Cebu City, Danao City, Hagnaya in San Remegio town, Camotes Island and Bantayan Island.

Captain Anelito Gabisan, commander of the Coast Guard in Bohol, said only one vessel with a 2,000 gross tonnage was allowed to sail for Cagayan de Oro City from Jagna, Bohol.

All fast craft and small vessels from Tagbilaran and Tubigon in Bohol were grounded, Gabisan said.

‘No sailing’

In the Bicol region, authorities issued a “no sailing” order as part of preparedness and preemptive measures.

Members of the Bicol Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) convened for an emergency meeting and directed the Coast Guard to prevent fishermen in the provinces of Masbate, Albay, Sorsogon and Camarines Sur from setting out to sea effective 12 noon Tuesday.

Pagasa told the RDRRMC that Ramon was expected to be 30 km north of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, Wednesday morning.

The “no sailing” policy initially applies to fishermen, but once a storm signal is raised, it will apply to all sea vessels in various ports in the region, said Raffy Alejandro, OCD-Bicol director and RDRRMC chairman.

He said the restriction would prevent any untoward sea incident from happening.

Alejandro said disaster officials in Masbate had been on high alert as Ramon could pass the province. He said this could be the first time in years that a climate disturbance would affect Masbate.

Governor Rizalina Lanete has convened the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Police said 40 persons were now stranded at the Masbate port.

In Albay, Governor Joey Salceda directed all local disaster councils to ensure strict enforcement of the “no sailing” policy.

“People might think Ramon has passed, especially those who do not know that the earlier one supposed to be named Ramon has dissipated and the incoming one is named the same,” he said.

Torrential rains

In the Caraga region, torrential rains brought by Ramon have led to the suspension of classes in several provinces. Authorities warned low-lying communities of flooding and landslides.

The provincial governments of Dinagat Island, Surigao del Sur and Surigao del Norte ordered the suspension of classes in the kindergarten, elementary and secondary levels.

In Surigao del Norte, Governor Sol Matugas said all disaster response and management teams had been activated.

“Low-lying communities should be alert to the high risk of flooding and landslides in their area,” the Mines and GeoSciences Bureau said in an afternoon bulletin Tuesday.

In Cagayan de Oro City, the heavy downpour caused the Iponan River to breach its banks and flood the villages of Iponan and Canitoan.

At least 150 families have evacuated to the Canitoan Elementary School, village chairman Joshua Taboclaon said.

Cagayan de Oro Mayor Vicente Emano has ordered the City Social Services to deliver relief goods to the evacuees. With reports Mar S. Arguelles, Rey Nasol and Jonas Cabiles Soltes, Inquirer Southern Luzon; Jani Arnaiz, Joey Gabieta, Jhunnex Napallacan and Felipe Celino, Inquirer Visayas; Danni Adorador and Bobby Lagsa, Inquirer Mindanao; Tarra Quismundo in Manila

Originally posted: 12:59 am | Wednesday, October 12th, 2011