THE Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) lifted on Tuesday morning, May 28, 2024, all tropical cyclone wind signals as Typhoon Aghon (Ewiniar) slightly weakened while moving away from Luzon.
In its 5 a.m. Tuesday bulletin, the weather bureau said Aghon, the first tropical cyclone in the country this year, was spotted 315 kilometers (km) east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan with maximum sustained winds of 130 km per hour (km/h) near the center, gusts of up to 160 km/h, and central pressure of 970 hPa.
It was moving northeastward at 15 km/h with strong to typhoon-force winds extending outwards up to 280 km from the center.
Pagasa said Aghon is unlikely to directly bring significant amount of rainfall within the next three days.
“With the lifting of all hoisted wind signals, possible impacts from severe winds of Aghon within the forecast period are becoming unlikely,” it said.
The agency said Aghon was forecast to exit the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) by Wednesday afternoon or evening.
Affected population
As of May 28, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said a total of 12,436 families or 36,143 individuals were affected by Aghon in six regions -- Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas and National Capital Region (NCR).
The NDRRMC said four houses were reported destroyed, while 18 were damaged.
The government has so far provided P3,665,997.89 worth of assistance to the affected population.
One person, a 14-year-old female, was confirmed dead after she was hit by a collapsed tree in Balingasag, Misamis Oriental.
The disaster bureau said 36 areas in Cagayan, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and Eastern Visayas were still experiencing power interruption while electric supply in 61 areas in the same regions have already been restored.
Government assistance
In a statement on Monday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. extended P1.2 million humanitarian assistance and readied over P3 billion standby funds to ensure a wider and faster distribution of government relief to residents affected by Typhoon Aghon.
“Nagbahagi tayo ng mahigit P1.2 milyong humanitarian assistance, at inihanda natin ang mahigit P3 bilyong halaga ng standby funds at prepositioned goods at stockpiles, upang masiguro ang mas malawak at mabilis na tulong para sa ating mga kababayang apektado ng bagyong #AghonPH,” he said.
(We have distributed over P1.2 million in humanitarian assistance, and we have prepared over P3 billion worth of standby funds and prepositioned goods and stockpiles, to ensure wider and faster assistance for our countrymen affected by Typhoon Aghon.)
“Asahan nating patuloy ang ating mga ahensya sa pagsuporta sa bawat komunidad at pagtiyak sa maayos na kalagayan ng ating mga mamamayan,” he added.
(Let's expect our agencies to continue supporting each community and ensuring the well-being of our citizens.)
Marcos also ordered local government units (LGUs), emergency services, and all relevant agencies to closely monitor the development of Aghon and to prioritize the welfare of the people.
“Let us all look out for one another, especially the most vulnerable members of our communities. Together, we will get through this storm,” he said.
Electricity supply
The Department of Energy (DOE), for its part, assured that electricity supply will soon be restored in areas affected by Typhoon Aghon after damaged power lines were fixed by power distributors and local governments.
“The Task Force on Energy Resiliency has also been monitoring the efforts of the plants na bumabalik. So kailangan lang ma-synchronize kasama ‘yung mga linya,” Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said in a virtual press conference on Monday, May 27, 2024.
“So we're monitoring this closely… parang makakabalik naman siya kasi the plants are okay, it's more of the lines coming in naman ang nagiging issue. But rest assured everyone is working on this. Team work tayo para mabalik kaagad and the good thing is as mentioned by the Secretary (Lotilla) the efficient use of electricity will also contribute a lot,” he added.
The DOE said nine power plants were affected by Aghon, shutting down their capacity to supply electricity due to the weather disturbance.
A total of 23 power plants were not generating power, with 12 already shut down before the typhoon struck because they are either derated or offline. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)