MANILA (Updated 4:50 p.m.) -- Residents in Northern Luzon currently on the path of Tropical Storm Gener (international codename: Saola) have been advised to heed the warnings of local and provincial disaster risk management councils.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said all concerned government units have already been alerted in case of any eventuality.
Seven areas have been placed under public storm alert by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) as of Sunday morning.
Signal number 2 has been hoisted over Cagayan, Calayan Group of Islands and Babuyan Group of Islands, while signal number 1 has been raised in Isabela, Kalinga, Apayao and Batanes Group of Islands.
Valte said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is on alert for road clearing, while the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has prepositioned relief goods and set up evacuation centers.
The Department of Health has also prepositioned medicines to augment the supply of hospitals in case needed.
“The Office of Secretary (Ricky) Carandang and the PCDSPO are coming up with the identification of evacuation centers so that the public may be rightly guided in times of calamities,” Valte said.
Pagasa warned residents who are living in low-lying and mountainous areas under public storm warning signals against possible flashfloods and landslides.
The weather bureau likewise alerted those living in coastal areas under public storm warning signal number 2 against big waves or storm surges generated by Gener.
Pagasa earlier said Gener may generate 10 to 25 millimeters per hour of rainfall (heavy to intense) within its 600-kilometer diameter.
The tropical storm will also enhance the southwest monsoon that will bring rain over Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao especially the western section, it added.
As of 10 a.m. Sunday, Tropical Storm Gener was estimated at 310 kilometers east northeast of Casiguran, Aurora, with maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour (kph) near center and gustiness of up to 100 kph.
Gener is not likely to make landfall and may instead head for Taiwan, said Pagasa. It is expected to leave the Philippines on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Following continuous rain, the Pagasa warned residents near La Mesa Dam in Quezon City to be on alert as the dam’s water level neared the spilling level.
“As of 6 a.m., La Mesa Dam is in red alert. Its water level is 79.51 meters, which is near the spilling level of 80.15 meters. The dam has no gates and there is a chance the dam will overflow to the Tullahan River,” said Gene Nievares, Pagasa hydrologist.
Tullahan River traverses several barangays in Novaliches, both in Quezon City and Caloocan City, Valenzuela City and Malabon City.
Water levels of Magat Dam in Isabela and Ipo Dam in Bulacan also reached near spilling levels, according to Nievares.
The Magat Dam, with a critical level of 190 meters, has reached 188.06 meters, while the Ipo dam has notched 108.80 meters, with a spilling level of 100.80 meters as of 6 a.m. Sunday. (Jill Beltran/Sunnex)