'Dindo' makes landfall

MANILA (Updated) -- Tropical Storm “Dindo” (international name: Doksuri) has maintained its strength as it made landfall Thursday night over the Islands of Calayan, state weather bureau said.

The center of Dindo was estimated at 115 kilometers north northwest of Laoag City at 10 p.m. Thursday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its 11 p.m. bulletin.

Dindo carries maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometer per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph.

The public storm warning signals were lowered elsewhere in the country, but the provinces of Cagayan, Calayan and Babuyan Group of Islands, Batanes Group of Islands, Apayao, Kalinga, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Benguet, La Union and Pangasinan are under storm signal number one. Winds of 30 to 60 kph are expected within the next 36 hours over these areas.

In the Cordillera Administrative Region, local disaster councils were activated as Dindo skidded through extreme Northern Luzon Thursday.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan ordered the suspension of classes in Baguio City at the pre-school level to elementary level, while classes from pre-school to high school level were also suspended in the rest of the region.

Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Regional Director Olivia Luces said streams and rivers in the region are still at normal water levels.

In Benguet, Kabayan-Buguias-Abatan road (Alapang Section) was closed to traffic as of 8 a.m. Thursday due to soil and rock slides. The Benguet Provincial Government also issued suspension of all small-scale mining operations to protect the safety of miners.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the Baguio-Bontoc Road (Km 0390+300 Tiktik section) was closed due to massive slide; Sabanagan Bridge, Baguio-Bontoc Road (Km 347+400 Sabangan Section) for repairs; and Magapit Suspension Bridge in Lallo, Cagayan due to rehabilitation.

Department of Social Welfare Development (DSWD) regional information officer Dennis Fernandez said some 2,000 family packs are ready for distribution at the regional office, while some 400 family packs are on-standby in every province.

The DSWD also has a standby fund amounting to P2.1 million and P13.6 million worth of relief supplies for Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Cordillera.

The Department of Health regional office also activated its Health Emergency Medical Service officers for emergency situations.

The OCD also coordinated with local disaster councils who activated their Disaster Operations Centers with emergency responders on standby.

Police Regional Office-Cordillera has also activated their Oplan Saklolo together with the Philippine Air Force personnel who are on alert status to conduct search and rescue operations.

The OCD also continuously sent emergency communication and information through various channels such as social media, websites, text message and radio, among others.

Meanwhile, a two-ton limit was imposed to motorists plying Gasgas bridge located between Batac City and San Nicholas, Ilocos Norte.

The Narvacan-Sulvec and San Emilio-Quirino Roads in Ilocos Sur were also not opened to traffic due to collapsed sea wall and muddy surface, respectively.

Earlier in the day, Dindo caused flooding in the municipalities of Aringay and Agoo in La Union but residents have not been moved to high ground, NDRRMC Executive Director Benito Ramos said.

Although not in the direct path of the storm, flashfloods triggered by the enhanced southwest monsoon caused the evacuation of 295 families in the cities of Malaybalay and Valencia in Bukidnon.

Dindo is forecasted to move west northwest at 19 kph and expected to be out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Friday. It is also expected to be at 490 km west northwest of Laoag City by Friday evening.

After Dindo, the weather bureau will keep an eye on the brewing storm in the Pacific Ocean this weekend. (JM Agreda of Sun.Star Baguio/Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)