Mindanao braces for New Year storm

ILIGAN CITY — Towns and provinces lashed by Tropical Storm “Vinta” (international name: Tembin) in Mindanao last week are bracing for another beating from a new storm headed their way as officials on Sunday reported fresh evacuations from areas that were again flooded by heavy rains.

Lanao del Norte Gov. Imelda Dimaporo said residents of the towns of Kolambugan and Tubod, which were among several municipalities heavily affected by Vinta last week, streamed into evacuation centers late on Saturday because of rising floodwaters.

Vinta left at least 117 dead in the province, officials said.

Abeliza Manzano, Lanao del Norte disaster management officer, could not immediately give the number of new evacuees as authorities were still dealing with 7,436 individuals from 1,797 families displaced by Vinta from four towns.

Nearly 85,000 people were forced to flee to emergency shelters as Vinta barreled through Mindanao and parts of the Visayas before it blew across Palawan, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). It said more than 29,000 sought refuge with relatives and friends.

NDRRMC spokesperson Mina Marasigan said many parts of the country would be drenched on the first days of the new year as Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao would be affected by three weather systems.

Rains brought by the northeast monsoon would be pouring over Luzon, mostly the northern and central regions, while the Bicol region and Eastern Visayas would be soaked by rains from the tail-end of a cold front, Marasigan said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Mindanao would be in the path of the approaching low pressure area, which would be called “Agaton” once it develops into a tropical depression after entering the Philippine area of responsibility on Sunday.

Manzano said heavy equipment from the provincial engineering office, the Department of Public Works and Highways, and Army engineers were on standby.

She said rescue operations had been launched for families in the villages of Mukas, Simbuco, Sto. Niño and Mangga at Kolambugan town, and in the villages of Pigcarangan, Tanguegueron, Poblacion and Gulod at Tubod town, where floodwaters rose around 11 p.m. on Saturday.

In Zamboanga del Norte, where 75 died during Vinta’s wrath, information officer Praxides Rubia said town officials and the provincial disaster management council were constantly meeting to find ways to cushion the impact of the approaching storm.

Pagadian City Mayor Romeo Pulmones on Sunday directed officials of all 54 villages to convene their barangay disaster councils to prepare for the coming storm and ordered the forced evacuation of residents from areas prone to landslides and floods.

Paulina Gadiano, Pagadian’s local government operations officer, said Manuel Luis Ochotorena, Western Mindanao chief of the Office of Civil Defense, ordered a regionwide activation of all operations center.

In Zamboanga City, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management officer Elmer Apolinario reported the completion of a predisaster risk assessment on Sunday and emergency provisions had been prepositioned.

Mujiv Hataman, governor of the five-province Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao where 36 people died in the wake of Vinta, said “we are ready” and officials wanted to ensure zero casualty this time.

Local officials and disaster officers in southern Mindanao, where Vinta left one dead and displaced a large number of people, advised residents, especially in landslide and flood-prone areas, to be on alert and heed evacuation orders.

In Davao City where over 31,000 people were affected by the massive floods caused by Vinta on Christmas Eve, relief distribution continued in emergency shelters as everyone prepared for another storm, Mayor Sara Duterte said. —With reports from Divina Suson, Richel Umel, Julie Alipala, Leah Agonoy, Frinston Lim, and Nikko Dizon