Luzon bracing for ‘Ompong’; classes suspended in Cagayan, Ilocos Norte
TUGUEGARAO CITY – Provincial, city and municipal officials and residents in many parts of Luzon, particulalry in the Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley and Bicol region, are bracing for the impact of potential super typhoon Ompong (international name: Mangkhut) which was expected to breach the Philippine area of repsonsibility (PAR) yesterday afternoon.
Classes in all levels and work today and tomorrow have been suspended in Cagayan province and Ilocosd Norte yesterday. Cagayan classes suspended Classes on Thursday and Friday in all levels in Cagayan have been suspended in anticipation of the onslaught of typhoon Ompong, which is expected to bring heavy rains in most parts of the country.
Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba has ordered the suspension of classes, which include graduate school studies, after a meeting with disaster riskreduction officials at the provincial capitol on Tuesday afternoon.
“The governor’s action is necessary to ensure safety to villagers especially those staying near flood-prone and landslide-prone areas,” Provincial Information Officer Rogelio Sending Jr. said.
Sending said Mamba also ordered the suspension of government and private work, except those at the frontline services like hospitals, law enforcement agencies and emergency response teams who will be on standby at the sub-capitol command post in Lal-lo and other designated areas. No classes, work in Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos has suspended classes in all levels in public and private schools in the province on September 13 and 14 as typhoon Ompong lurks.
Marcos also suspended works in both public and private sectors in the province, except those involved in vital frontline services, including personnel from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) and city/municipal DRRMCs.
Marcos appealed to the public to take appropriate safety measures to minimize loss of life and limb and damage to properties She asked barangay chairpersons, barangay health workers (BHWs) and other local officials to be alert and vigilant.
Farmers were likewsie advised to harvest crops before the typhoon hits.
‘Ompong’s” power In its 11 a.m. tropical cyclone advisory, the weather bureau said the eye of “Ompong’ (international name: Mangkhut) was spotted 1,190 kilometers east northeast of Guiuan, Eastern Samar.
It packs maximum sustained winds of 205 kms per hour and gustiness of 255 kph. Liquor ban A liquor ban will also be imposed on Friday and Saturday.
Cagayan Valley The Department of Tourism in Cagayan Valley recommended the postponement of trips to the northern parts of Cagayan province, and the northern parts of Batanes, island municipalities of Calayan, including Palaui Island of Sta. Ana, and Fuga Island starting September 14.
In its social media account, DOT –Cagayan Valley cited that Typhoon Mangkhut, (local name Typhoon Ompong), is expected to cut across northeastern Luzon by Saturday.
Adverse weather conditions, however, are expected to prevail by September 14.
The regional DOT office likewise advised the public to be cautions when travelling to other parts of the region and elsewhere in Luzon.
Bicol region Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) chief Dr. Cedric Daep told the Manila Bulletin that he is now drafting an advisory suspending classes from pre-school to highschool in anticipation of the raising iof public storm warning signals.
"Inabisuhan na ako ni Governor Al (Francis) Bichara na pag-aralan yung sitwasyon. So baka itaas ng PAGASA ang signal number 1 mamayang gabi, bukas suspended na yung klase sa preschool hanggang high school," he said.
The draft advisory has been sent to the office of the governor as the head of Albay Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) and expected to be released on Wednesday afternoon. Lahar alert Daep also said that they (APSEMO) will also issue a separate advisory for possible lahar / mud flows. "Yung sa lahar, pag-uusapan pa namin yan ng Phivolcs at saka PAGASA, kasi depende pa rin yan sa lakas ng ulan," he said.
According to Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) resident volcanologist Dr. Ed Laguerta, about 23 million cubic meters of new volcanic debris may threatensvillages around Mayon Volcano.
"Yung 23 million cubic meters na loose materials ay yung bago yun ng mag-erupt si Mayon noong Pebrero saka Marso. Meron pang luma, mas madami ito kaysa sa bago na hindi pa natin alam yung eksaktong dami nito, dagdag pa dito yung pinag-quarry. Titingnan pa natin, kasama yung PAGASA at saka APSEMO kung kaya bang ibaba ito o magkaroon ng lahar flow sa dalang ulan ng bagyo," he said.
Rough seas Along with the suspension of classes, operators and crewmen of small vessels are advised not to set sail due rough sea conditions.
He added that the APSEMO is studying all the scenarios of the possible impact of the typhoon.
"Meron tayong tinitingnan na apat na scenarios. Una yung posibleng direktang pagtama ng bagyo sa Albay, pangalawa ay sa gilid lang, pangatlo ay sa pinaka-gilid ng bagyo at pangapat ay hindi tatamaan pero huhugutin ang habagat na posibleng magdala ng pag-uulan sa Albay at maging kawsa ng pagbabaha at landslide. Sa apat na yan, yung pang-apat ang pinakamataas na probability na mangyari," he explained.
Ilocos region
The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council - Region 1 (RDRRMC1) started mobilizing assets in prepatration for potential super typhoon Ompong.
Director Melchito M. Castro, RDRRMC1 chairperson, on Wednesday said the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) started the deployment of trucks, boats and choppers complete radio communications equipment.
The Ilocos region police, headed by Chief Superintendent Romulo E. Sapitula, formed an emergency operations center in all provincial police headquarters to house all their assets and radio communications equipment.
Castro convened on Wednesday an emergency response preparedness meeting of the RDRRMC1 memberagencies, the Regional Incident Management Team (RITM) and the Rapid Emergency Telecommunications Team (RETT) to finalize the contingency plans for ‘Ompong’.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Castro said that Ilocos region is under “red alert” status.
Flood, landslide threats
Based on risk assessments on the effect of southwest monsoon to be enhanced by the typhoon in the Ilocos region, Castro said the weather disturbance may cause flooding in low lying areas, landslide in the mountainous areas and storm surge near the coastlines of the initially identified areas to be affected.
“I am appealing all the local DRRMCs to closely monitor the situations in their respective local government units (LGUs) to anticipate the effect of the typhoon,” he said.