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Saturday, May 13, 2006
Rain alert still up in Negros: Group
TROPICAL storm "Caloy" is already out of the area of Negros and Bacolod.
But, this is not a guarantee for Negrenses and Bacoleños to relax. Provincial Disaster Management Team, Negros Rescue Federation, and Bacolod City Disaster Coordinating advise everybody to take extra-precaution against the possible rise of water levels in some areas caused by the continuous downpour.
Dave Cuajao of the Provincial Disaster Management Team explained that Caloy covers a wide area, causing rains in most parts of the country.
In Negros and Bacolod, Cuajao said, the "rain alert" is still up.
For this reason, they are constantly monitoring the storm's condition every hour and the situation of residents in the low lying areas while alerting all the rescue groups from every town and city in the province.
But as of the meantime, Cuajao said, no locality has reported any massive flooding yet.
In Bacolod, waters rose at the downtown area especially in front of a department store along Gatuslao Street.
Areas in Tangub, Mandalagan, Punta Taytay, Singcang-Airport are still being monitored.
City Engineer Loreto Dilag said if floods cannot be controlled in Bacolod, "This could only be caused by improperly dumped garbage, which clogs water flow."
Meanwhile, as of 5 p.m. Friday, the disaster management team reported that Caloy was estimated based from Satellite and Surface Data at 60 kilometers Northeast of Romblon or 160 kilometers East Southeast of Calapan, Oriental Mindoro with the coordinates of 13.3 degrees north to 122.3 degrees east with maximum sustained winds of 95 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 120 kph.
It is also forecasted to move West Northwest at 19 kph.
Signal No.2 was hoisted at Southern Quezon, Batangas, Marinduque, Mindoro Provinces, Romblon and Burias Island.
Storm Signal No. 1 was also raised Occidental Mindoro, Lubang Island, Calamian Group of Island, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Rest of Quezon, Polillo Island, Rizal, Laguna, Batangas, Cavite, Bulacan, Bataan, Metro Manila, Northern Samar and Northern Panay.
Negros Occidental to include Bacolod, on the other hand, will experience overcast skies rainshowers and thunderstorms.
Moderate to strong winds blowing from the Northeast and North will prevail over Negros Island. Coastal waters will be moderate to rough.
Caloy has also weakened further and is now in the vicinity of Burias Island and is expected to hit Metro Manila this morning.
Caloy with a maximum sustained wind of 95 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 120 kph is forecasted to be in the vicinity of Marinduque Friday night.
The storm has slightly weakened as it made landfall and crossed Northern Samar Thursday night.
Meanwhile, at least nine barangays in the town of Sogod in Southern Leyte province have been isolated due to landslides and floods triggered by tropical storm Caloy that hit the area Friday.
In the Bicol region, the Office of the Civil Defense said the entire province of Albay has no electricity due to the weather disturbance that has also stranded 4,562 passengers in various ports in the Bicol and Visayas regions due to the suspension of ferry trips.
The civil defense office said its mother unit, the National Disaster Coordinating Council has asked media entities in Southern Leyte to advise the residents to take precautionary measures and evacuate from low-lying areas.
"The NDCC operations center the requested some major radio stations to disseminate warning information and encouraged the people in Sogod to take safety precautions and residents along the river to evacuate to safer and higher grounds upon request of Governor Rosette Lerias," it said.
The civil defense also said its field offices in the Bicol and Eastern Samar regions were on standby to distribute food and non-food commodities for the affected residents.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard cancelled all ferry transport from Batangas City to Odiongan, Romblon, Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, Calapan City and San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.
Three local airlines also cancelled several domestic flights due to the bad weather.
Philippine Airlines cancelled four flights. Those cancelled are flights going to Manila-Roxas-Manila; Manila-Kalibo-Manila; Manila-Naga-Manila and Manila-Legaspi-Manila.
Asian Spirit cancelled 14 flights going to and from Masbate, Virac, Catanduanes, Kalibo, Catarman and Caticlan, Aklan. Cebu Pacific also cancelled one flight. (EASD with report from Sunnex)
(May 13, 2006 issue)
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