After 8 landfalls, typhoon kills 4, then exits Luzon landmass; Catanduanes, CamSur, Albay hardest-hit

A state of calamity has been declared in the provinces of Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, and Albay, where the vicious strength of typhoon “Nina” (international name: “Nock-ten”) tore houses down, knocked out trees and power installations, and displaced tens of thousands, before barreling through the rest of Southern Luzon, leaving four people dead, officials said yesterday.

“Nina” took about 19 hours to barrel through Bicol and Southern Tagalog Regions, making a total of eight landfalls before exiting the country’s landmass yesterday afternoon.

As of press time yesterday afternoon, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council or NDRRMC did not release an official death toll, but separate police reports said a farmer died after being pinned by a fallen tree in Quezon province and three other villagers, including a couple who were swept by a flash flood, died in Albay province.

“Nina” gradually weakened when it hit Bato, Catanduanes around 6:30 p.m. last Sunday. Its eye made its second landfall in Sagnay, Camarines Sur at 9:30 p.m. Sunday, then passed through Milaor, Camarines Sur at 11 p.m.; San Andres, Quezon province around 2 a.m. yesterday; Devilla, Santa Cruz in Marinduque at 5 a.m.; Verde Island, Batangas about 9 a.m.; Calatagan, Batangas at 11:40 a.m.; and finally Lubang Island, Occidental Mindoro at 1 p.m.

It left the landmass of Luzon en route to the West Philippine Sea around 2 p.m. Monday, and was already 75 kilometers (km) southwest of Subic, Olongapo or over the West Philippine Sea at about 4 p.m.

“Nina” first hit the country as a typhoon category with maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 215 kph.

After crossing Luzon landmass, it was packing 120 kph maximum sustained winds and gustiness of up to 180 kph around 5 p.m. Monday.

PAGASA said the worst is over as generally improved weather was expected starting Monday evening.

“Nina” can be considered a strong tropical cyclone, but it gradually weakened due to the cold and dry air associated with the northeast monsoon or “amihan.”

HARDEST-HIT

“Nina” was one of the strongest typhoons to hit the country since typhoon Yolanda in 2014, but officials in some provinces found it difficult to convince people to abandon their Christmas celebrations and head for the shelters before the storm hit.

In Albay, officials said they had to impose forced evacuations, still three people were reported killed.

Some residents just refused to leave their homes even when I warned them that you can face what amounts to a death penalty,” Cedric Daep, a top disaster-response official in Albay, said by phone.

With more than 150,000 villagers displaced by the typhoon, Albay declared a “state of calamity” on Sunday to allow faster disbursement of emergency funds.

In Mulanay, Quezon province, 42-year-old farmer Gregorio R. Rogel was pinned to death when a coconut tree fell on him in Sitio Catumbao, Barangay Sta. Rosa.

Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office Head Willy P. Lincallo confirmed Rogel was a casualty of the storm. He added that 3,023 people have been sheltered in evacuation centers in Mulanay alone.

Quezon Governor David C. Suarez said disaster officials recorded a total of 2,028 evacuated families or 9,997 individuals.

In Catanduanes, perhaps the hardest-hit by “Nina,” Governor Joseph Cua declared a state of calamity.

Emerging from a meeting with the NDRRMC and the DILG, Cua said the province “is now isolated; walang biyahe ang eroplano and barko; walang telecom signals (there are now flights, no trips by sea; no telecommunications signal).”

He said it was agreed that four C-130 trips from Mactan Island, Cebu, would be sent for the delivery of relief assistance.

Internet connection has been up, but it has been observed to be very slow in the province. As of press time yesterday afternoon, there was also no electricity and some areas had no access to potable water.

In Camarines Sur, which had also declared a state of calamity, an initial report released by the Capitol before noon said there was zero casualty but 60,156 families or 259,572 individuals had been evacuated.

It said the hardest-hit areas by “Nina” were Districts 4 and 5; part of District 2, particularly Minalabac, Pasacao, and Milaor; and part of District 3, specifically Pili and Ocampo.

Rains also caused the Naga River to overflow, flooding the streets of the capital Naga City.

In Oriental Mindoro, four barangays in three towns were flooded and government rescue workers started a province-wide rehabilitation of the destruction caused by Nina by last night.

Oriental Mindoro Governor Alfonso V. Umali, Jr., said the flooded barangays were Calubayan in Socorro town, Mangangan and Poblacion in Baco and Dulangan in Puerto Galera, all located in northern Mindoro.

Clearing of national roads in their rehabilitation efforts and the delivery of food and medicines among affected residents are now the priority, Umali said.

In Batangas, more than 400 families are evacuated with 1,462 persons in Batangas City, Lipa City, Calaca and Taal.

Some parts of Batangas province have experienced power cut affecting the towns of Ibaan, Malvar, San Jose, Agoncillo, Lobo, Tanauan City,  Lipa City, Balete, Taysan, Balayan, Calatagan, Nasugbu, San Luis and Tuy.

Uprooted trees also rendered several highways impassable. But the bigger story was that 1,032 passengers were stranded at the port as of yesterday.

14 RESCUED; 8 MISSING

Fourteen crew members of a roll-on, roll-off (RORO) vessel were rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) yesterday after it sunk in Batangas due to the rough seas.

‘NINA’ VICTIM — M/V Shuttle Roro 5 drifts near the shore in Mabini, Batangas as typhoon ‘Nina’ roars over the province yesterday. Coast Guard Station (CGS) in Batangas said the passenger vessel drifted off and its crew were about to abandon ship when a 911 distress call prompted the conduct of a search and rescue operation. (Ali Vicoy | Manila Bulletin)

‘NINA’ VICTIM — M/V Shuttle Roro 5 drifts near the shore in Mabini, Batangas as typhoon ‘Nina’ roars over the province yesterday. Coast Guard Station (CGS) in Batangas said the passenger vessel drifted off and its crew were about to abandon ship when a 911 distress call prompted the conduct of a search and rescue operation. (Ali Vicoy | Manila Bulletin)

According to PCG officer-in-charge Commodore Joel Garcia, MV Starlite Atlantic sunk in the vicinity waters off Tingloy, Batangas.

As of press time, PCG said 14 of the 22 crew members were rescued while the search continued for the eight missing others.

Earlier today, PCG also conducted a search and rescue operation after another RORO went adrift off Mabini Town also in Batangas.

PCG said MV Shuttle RORO 5 went adrift around 11 a.m. after being battered by “Nina’s” strong winds. It completely sunk at around 3 p.m. All 25 of its crew members were rescued.

364 CANCELLED FLIGHTS

A total of 364 international and domestic flights were cancelled yesterday due to typhoon “Nina,” affecting an estimated 80,000 passengers.

Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) General Manager Ed Monreal and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Director General Jim Sydiongco, in a joint press conference, said the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) reported that at least 364 canceled flights, while 87 were rescheduled to the other date their arrival and departures.

Monreal said that incoming foreign airlines flights were also cancelled except those which had flight schedules in the morning.

“We are appealing to all the passengers most probably affected that please verify at your airlines and travel agency before going to the airport to avoid a long time waiting at the terminals,” he said.

9,000 STRANDED AT PORTS

The number of passengers who are still stranded in seaports nationwide due to the onslaught of Nina dwindled to almost 9,000, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said yesterday.

According to PCG 8,732 passengers, 1,025 rolling cargoes, 30 vessels and five motorbancas are stranded due to the rough seas caused by “Nina” as of 12 p.m.

Despite this, the PCG has monitored a total of 10,366 outbound passengers and 8,502 inbound passengers in various ports nationwide as of 6 a.m. yesterday.

PCG said, 5,618 passengers, 552 rolling cargoes, 11 vessels, and three motorbancas are stranded in the ports in the Bicol Region.

Aside from Bicol, PCG has also monitored a total of 2,846 passengers, 178 rolling cargoes, 17 vessels, and two motorbancas stranded in the ports of Southern Tagalog.

PCG said there are also 1,855 passengers stranded in the different ports of Eastern Visayas along with 285 rolling cargoes, and five vessels.

In Western Visayas, PCG has tallied a total of 313 passengers, 10 rolling cargoes, and a vessel stranded in different ports. Meanwhile, a total of 100 passengers and a vessel were stranded in the different ports Central Visayas.

As of 10 a.m., PCG said ports in Allen, Samar and Matnog, Sorsogon have resumed their trips.

LOWERED SIGNALS

PAGASA has lifted Signal No. 4 and 3 or lowered tropical cyclone warning signals over some areas affected by the typhoon on Monday afternoon

However, Signal No. 2 remains hoisted over Lubang Island and western portion of Batangas.

Signal No. 1 is still up over southern Zambales, Bataan, the rest of Batangas, Cavite and northern portions of Occidental and Oriental Mindoro.

PAGASA hydrologist Richard Orendain said patches of rains can still be felt over Cagayan, Zamboanga Peninsula, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro today (December 27).

POWER DOWN

Thousands of Filipino families were literally left groping in the dark on Christmas Day, as many power lines were downed by typhoon “Nina” mainly in Southern Luzon and Bicol regions.

According to system operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), the lines that were affected by the Christmas-wandering weather disturbance include the 69-kilovolt (kV) Batangas-Bolboc line; Batangas-Ibaan-Rosario line; Calaca-Balayan-Nasugbu/Calatagan line; Gumaca-Quezon line and Pitogo-Mulanay line.

These have affected the customers of Manila Electric Company (Meralco) in Batangas; and those of the Batangas Electric Cooperatives I and II and Quezon Electric Cooperative I.

Further in the Bicol region, the affected transmission lines have been the 69kV Naga-Lagonoy line; Naga-Tinambac line; Naga-Concepcion line; Naga-Iriga line; Daraga-Iriga line and the Daraga substation; and the Tiwi-Pawa-Tabaco line.

The customers who suffered power interruptions include those served by the Camarines Sur Electric Cooperatives II and IV; Albay Power and Energy Corporation; as well as Sorsogon Elecric Cooperatives I and II.

The transmission firm has qualified though that the loss of power in these domains “may be caused by affected transmission facilities of NGCP or distribution facilities of local distribution utilities or electric cooperatives.”

Given the extent of the damage and adverse impact sustained by power facilities in the typhoon-battered areas, the Department of Energy (DOE) with the aid of industry stakeholders had started deploying teams to fast-track efforts at restoring power supply in affected localities and communities.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi tasked Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella to lead monitoring activities and coordination efforts with NGCP at its overall command monitoring center (OCMC) in Quezon City.

DSWD RESPONSE

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is providing augmentation assistance amounting to P206 million to typhoon-affected local government units (LGUs).

The assistance to 27 LGUs includes 580,857 family food packs, 2,459 ready-to-eat meals, 1,585 malong, 885 mosquito net, 885 blankets, and 585 dignity kits.

These are on top of the goods that have been prepositioned to the LGUs.

Aside from relief supplies, the DSWD is providing mobile communications vehicle and high speed Internet service to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to facilitate speedy monitoring of situations in affected areas.

SUFFICIENT RICE SUPPLY

Meanwhile, the National Food Authority (NFA) assured the public it has enough rice stocks in its warehouses nationwide particularly in regions hit by Nina, NFA officer-in-charge Tomas Escarez said.

Escarez said NFA local offices in Bicol, Calabarzon and Metro Manila are on alert status and are closely coordinating with relief agencies like the DSWD, Regional and Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Councils, local government units (LGUs), and Philippine Red Cross (PRC), among others, for the issuance of their rice requirements.

“We are ready to issue their rice requirements anytime. We have a standing memorandum of agreement (MOA) with these relief agencies so they can withdraw rice from NFA during calamities and emergencies,” Escarez said in a statement posted on the agency’s Facebook page. (With reports from Francis T. Wakefield, Myrna M. Velasco, Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos, AP, Ariel Fernandez, Aytch dela Cruz, Lyka Manalo, and Jerry Alcayde)

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by by Ellalyn B. De Vera, Danny J. Estacio, Jinky Tabor, and Ruel Saldico

If you have any stories or news that you would like to share with the global online community, please feel free to share it with us by contacting us directly at [email protected]