‘Chedeng’ threatens E. Visayas, Bicol

MANILA, Philippines—Relief officials piled up food and medicine in warehouses, handed out mobile phones to barangay officials and put rescue teams on alert as Tropical Storm “Chedeng” bore down on Luzon amid warnings from forecasters that it could turn into a supertyphoon.

“The marching order of the President is for a zero casualty,” Science Undersecretary Graciano Yumul said as Chedeng, with center winds of 115 kilometers per hour, swirled toward northern Philippines.

Cagayan and Isabela are possible targets when Chedeng hits land possibly on Friday, officials said.

Judging from Tuesday’s movement of Chedeng, Metro Manila is expected to be spared from a direct hit.

As of Tuesday, the storm was gusting up to 145 kph but it had lost some of its speed, slowing down to 13 kph from 15 kph, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

The agency raised Storm Signal No. 1 over Bicol and Eastern Visayas and warned nearby provinces to brace for a stormy weather until the weekend.

As of 7 p.m. Tuesday, Chedeng was spotted 460 km east of Catarman, Northern Samar.

Pagasa’s chief weather forecaster Robert Sawi said “there is a big possibility” that Chedeng would intensify into a typhoon and “could” even become a supertyphoon if it stayed longer at sea before sweeping through the country.

Experts have said that storms pick up energy or strength while over the sea.

‘Anything possible’

Pagasa classifies storms according to their speed and strength of the maximum sustained winds near their center. A storm has center winds of 64 to 117 kph, and a typhoon more than 117 kph.

A storm with a strength of 150 kph is referred to in the media as a supertyphoon but Pagasa itself does not have any supertyphoon category.

“Anything is possible because Chedeng is still over water and every time a tropical cyclone is over water, it gets its energy from the Philippine Sea,” Undersecretary Yumul said.

Aquino instructions

Provincial disaster councils have prepared for Chedeng’s onslaught, stockpiling relief goods in warehouses, putting relief and rescue teams on standby, repairing drainage systems and, where available, readying rubber boats.

In Bulacan, Malolos City Mayor Christian Natividad said mobile phones and emergency kits had been distributed to officials of 51 barangays in the city.

“[The President] has instructed the concerned agencies to do all that is possible to minimize loss of life and damage to property,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a statement.

“We appeal to those living in low-lying and landslide-prone areas to cooperate with local authorities if and when they are asked to evacuate,” Lacierda added.

Sparing Metro Manila

Just like when Storm “Bebeng” struck the country earlier this month, President Aquino would be out of the Philippines by the time Chedeng makes landfall. He would be in Bangkok, Thailand, by then.

Mr. Aquino was visiting Indonesia when Bebeng rampaged through Bicol, killing 35 people.

Chedeng will not hit Metro Manila, as shown in satellite data, but the metropolis will be “wet” from Friday night to Sunday, Yumul said.

Satellite data showed that Chedeng is “huge,” with a diameter of 500 kilometers, Yumul said.

Pagasa expects the storm to dump between 20 and 40 millimeters of rain an hour in the areas it will hit.

Chedeng is also expected to suck in the southwest monsoon “and that will be the onset of the rainy season,” Yumul said.

Forewarned is forearmed

Regarding Mr. Aquino’s “zero casualty” order, Yumul said: “We have done that before and we believe that we can do it but everybody has to work. At the end of the day, one’s safety is that individual’s responsibility.”

Lacierda said the government had identified flood-prone areas and local governments had been alerted to take the necessary precautions, including possible evacuation.

The Philippine National Police and the Philippine Coast Guard have been ordered to prevent ships and small fishermen from going out to sea in critical times.

“Forewarned is forearmed is the underlying strategy of our disaster response,” Lacierda said.

Regions ready

The effects of the storm have begun to be felt in Bicol and Eastern Visayas, with Pagasa raising Storm Signal No. 1 over Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon and Samar provinces.

Starting Thursday, Pagasa said heavy rains would prevail in the provinces of Isabela, Quezon and Aurora.

Sawit said stormy weather would be experienced in central and northern Luzon on Friday and Saturday.

The rest of Luzon and the western parts of Visayas and Mindanao would have rainy weather, Pagasa said.

In Isabela, Gov. Faustino Dy III met with members of the provincial disaster council as the province braced for Chedeng’s landfall.

Dy said said rescue teams and rubber boats were ready to respond to any emergency.

Vice Gov. Rodolfo Albano III asked officials of National Irrigation Administration and Magat Dam to issue regular bulletins on reservoir levels to give residents enough time to evacuate if needed.

In Central Luzon, Neri Amparo, Office of Civil Defense regional director, said the disaster-response councils and the local governments were on alert.

“Our preparedness plan is in place … We are focused now on zero casualty,” Amparo said.

Zambales Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. has ordered local officials to check the condition of drainage systems and inspect rivers and creeks in anticipation of heavy rains.

A total of 503 passengers were stranded in major ports in Bicol Tuesday after the weather bureau hoisted Signal No. 1 over the region.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda issued a “no sailing” directive to law enforcement agencies. The directive was to be strictly enforced on small passenger boats and fishing boats.

The disaster councils in Eastern Samar and Northern Samar also have been activated.

The Office of Civil Defense in Eastern Visayas said authorities had placed rescue teams on alert especially in areas prone to landslide and flooding. With reports from Mar S. Arguelles, Inquirer Southern Luzon; Villamor Visaya Jr., Cristina Arzadon and Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon; Tonette Orejas, Robert Gonzaga and Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Inquirer Central Luzon; and Joey Gabieta, Inquirer Visayas