MANILA (Updated 9:15 a.m.) -- President Benigno Aquino III reprimanded Wednesday the state weather bureau for its failure to predict that Typhoon Basyang (international codename: Conson) would batter Metro Manila.
Aquino, during an emergency meeting in Camp Aguinaldo, reminded the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Atmospheric Services Administration (Pagasa) that its weather forecast is very important as the government and the public rely on it.
He said Pagasa's failure to predict the correct movement of Basyang is not acceptable, citing the problem has been present for quite a long time.
"You do what you are supposed to do... this is not acceptable," Aquino said.
He, however, hopes that it will be "the last time that we are all brought to areas different from where we should be."
Pagasa, in a press conference Tuesday morning, said Typhoon Basyang is targeting areas in Central and Northern Luzon and there is no indication that it will change direction. On Tuesday evening, however, Basyang changed its course and battered Metro Manila instead.
The weather bureau then placed the metro under public storm signal number 2, along with the provinces of Bulacan, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Zambales, Pampanga, Bataan, Batangas, Laguna, Lubang Island, Cavite, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Rizal, Northern Quezon and Camarines Norte.
Pagasa Director Prisco Nilo, in response, apologized to the President and vowed to conduct an inquiry on what happened to their 24-hour monitoring.
He also said that they had to update their weather bulletin every six hours to inform the public of the possible changes.
"We update the bulletin every six hours to take into account possible changes that were not earlier indicated by the mathematical models we are using as guidance in coming up with our forecast," Nilo said.
As of this posting Wednesday, several areas in Metro Manila still have no power after Basyang lashed them Tuesday night.
LRT and MRT operations were also suspended due to blackout, leaving several passengers stranded.
Radio dzBB report, however, said that 20 percent of the power in the metro had been restored.
The Manila Electric Company hopes to restore power in all parts of its franchise area within the day.
Among the areas where blackout is still ongoing are Parañaque, Las Piñas, Pasay, some parts of Makati City, Manila and Quezon City.
Electricity at Canlubang substation, San Pablo, Los Baños, Trese Martires, Tagaytay, and General Mariano Alvarez substations are back to normal.
Aside from the blackout, several roads in Metro Manila are still flooded. Some trees and electric posts were also toppled by Typhoon Basyang.
In Batangas province, several passengers going to Romblon were also stranded due to the typhoon.
There were also a hundred of passengers in Manila who were not yet able to go home after shipping companies cancelled their trips.
Lieutenant Commander Armando Balilo of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) advised the passengers to wait for their announcement later in the day.
He also said that search and rescue operations continue in Catanduanes province as eight fishermen were confirmed missing. He added they are also verifying reports that 11 others are also missing.
The PCG, according Balilo, is also monitoring a vessel that reportedly sank off Cavite province. He said they also received reports that six people were rescued by a cargo vessel on the way to Manila.
Typhoon Basyang, after lashing the Metro Manila and several areas in central and northern Luzon, is now moving towards South China Sea after it weakens into a tropical storm.
It was spotted Wednesday morning at the northern part of Zambales. It is still packing maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour (kph) while moving towards north at the speed of 22 kph.
Storm signal number 1 still remains over Batangas, Polilo Island, Laguna, Northern Quezon, Rizal, Cavite, Lubang Island, Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Zambales, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Pangasinan, and Metro Manila. (LRM/Sunnex)