MANILA (Updated) -- The state weather bureau said Wednesday afternoon that Super Typhoon "Lawin" (Haima) continues to pose a serious threat over Cagayan-Isabela area.
Lawin, the strongest typhoon to strike the country after Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2013, is expected to make landfall over Cagayan-Isabela area around midnight of Wednesday, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
The weather bureau hoisted the highest number 5 Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal in the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Kalinga and Apayao.
Winds of up to more than 220 kilometers per hour (kph) are expected in the four provinces within at least 12 hours.
Signal number four (171-220 kph winds) is up in Ilocos Norte, Abra, Ilocos Sur, Mt. Province, Ifugao and Calayan Group of Islands, while signal number three (121-170 kph winds) is up in La Union, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and northern Aurora.
Signal number two (6-120 kph winds) is up in Batanes Group of Islands, Pangasinan, rest of Aurora, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Northern Zambales, and northern Quezon, including Polillo Islands; while signal number one (30-30 kph winds) is up in the rest of Zambales, Bulacan, Bataan, Pampanga, Rizal, the rest of Quezon, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay and Metro Manila.
Pagasa said the estimated rainfall amount is from moderate to heavy within the 800 kilometers diameter of the super typhoon.
As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, the eye of Super Typhoon Lawin was located at 275 kilometers east southeast of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.
Winds of up to 225 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center of the typhoon are expected, as well as gusts of up to 315 kph.
Lawin is forecast to move west northwest at 25 kph.
The super typhoon is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility by early Friday morning.
Project Noah head Mahar Lagmay urged the public to heed the advisories being issued by authorities about the super typhoon.
"Hindi epektibo ang warning kung hindi tama sa gawain, dapat umaksyon ang mga tao sa mga warning na ito," he said.
Director Edgar Allan Tabell of Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) warned residents in coastal and mountainous areas against the threat of storm surges and landslides.
"Yung mga nasa coastal areas sa northern tip of Cagayan, like Sta. Ana and others, lumayo na kayo sa coastal area, maghanap na kayo ng high grounds dahil pino-project ng Pagasa ang storm surge na two to five meters," he said.
"Sa mga nasa bundok, maghanap na kayo ng safe location lalo na sa mga landslide- prone areas. Kung hindi kayo nagkaroon ng landslide ng pagtama ni Karen, mas mataas ang probablity na mag landslide ngayon," Tabell added.
He urged the affected families in coastal areas to evacuate to safer places even prior to the onslaught of the supertyphoon.
"Yung mga kababayan na turista na naroon pa rin, kung akala nyo kaya nyo ito, hindi n’yo ito kaya. Umalis na kayo sa mga delikadong lugar. Kung hindi nyo alam kung saan pupunta, pumunta kayo sa pinakamalapit na munisipyo para ma-guide kayo," said Tabell.
The Philippine National Police and Philippine Coast Guard have placed all their rescue and medical teams on standby to immediately respond to possible emergencies in areas to be affected by the super typhoon.
Police Chief Superintendent Wilfredo Franco, the Director for Police Community Relations (DPCR), said that their resources and personnel were immediately deployed in the Northern Luzon to augment the local police units that will conduct possible disaster response operations.
"Disaster response troops, equipment and supplies were prepositioned to disaster-prone areas threatened by Typhoon 'Lawin' along Luzon and especially in areas that are expected to experience extreme weather conditions brought by the said Typhoon with an estimated intensity between 200 kph and 220 kph at landfall," Franco said.
These disaster response-capable units include, Special Action Force, Maritime Group, Highway Patrol Group, Police Community Relations Group, and the Regional Public Safety Battalions.
Police Chief Superintendent Gilbert Sosa, acting director of Cagayan Valley police office, has directed all PNP Commanders in lower units to conduct the same preparation to ensure the readiness of the police force to respond to the effect of the calamity.
Cagayan Valley police has a total of 753 on standby Disaster Trained Personnel ready for disaster operation.
The PNP also assured the availability of equipments such as rubber boats, life vests, portable generators, rappelling equipment, chainsaw and other search, rescue and retrieval operations equipment.
PCG spokesperson Armand Balilo, for his part, said they have already cancelled sea trips to and from the provinces under tropical cyclone warning signals due to bad weather.
The PCG said 737 passengers were stranded in various seaports in Bicol and Northeast of Luzon while nine vessels, 35 rolling cargos and 43 motorbancas were not allowed to venture into the seas.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) assured Wednesday that relief goods and necessary equipments were prepositioned in preparation for the onslaught of Lawin.
"May sapat na preparasyon tayo, may sapat na advisories sa local units para sa kanilang action," NDRRMC executive director Ricardo Jalad said.
According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), more than 10,000 food packs and relief goods were prepositioned in Cagayan Valley and in other provinces, where Lawin is expected to make landfall.
It said Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation (PDRF) donated over 15,000 family food packs and 450 relief bags, which are ready for delivery to San Fernando Pampanga; and another 1,700 food packs for the affected population in Real, Quezon.
The agency said 15,000 food packs are for distribution to the affected families in Palayan, Nueva Ecija and Baler, Aurora; while 3,000 bottles of drinking water were already delivered in Tuguegarao, Cagayan.
The NDRRMC said there were also 100 camping lamps and 100 solar panels provided in the Cordillera Administrative Region. (Sunnex)
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