Rainy season is here – Pagasa
With the continuous rains brought by the Domeng-enhanced southwest monsoon, the state weather bureau officially declared yesterday the start of the rainy season in the country.
Chris Perez, senior weather specialist at the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said the required volume of rain in select climate stations had been met.
Domeng intensified into a storm yesterday as
it continued to hover over the Philipppine Sea.
Perez warned residents in Western Luzon, including Metro Manila and Western Visayas, against flooding and landslides as Domeng and the southwest monsoon would continue to dump rains over these areas in the next three days.
He said these weather systems continued to bring moderate to occasional heavy rains over Aurora, Bataan and the regions of Bicol, Calabarzon, Mimaropa and Western Visayas. Scattered rains also prevailed over the rest of Luzon and the Visayas.
The southwest monsoon will bring rains over Metro Manila and the rest of the western sections of Luzon and the Visayas this weekend, Perez said.
As of 3 p.m. yesterday, the center of Domeng was located at 560 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph. It was forecast to move north northeast at 19 kph.
Perez said Domeng was not expected to make landfall in any part of the country. It is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility tomorrow.
PAGASA administrator Vicente Malano said rain events may be followed by dry periods or “monsoon break,” which could last for several days to weeks.
DepEd: Prioritize students’ safety
Education Secretary Leonor Briones reminded school administrators to prioritize the safety and well-being of students during the rainy season.
The Department of Education said it is the discretion of the parents to decide whether their children should go to school during typhoons, floods and other calamities in the absence of announcement on suspension of classes.
The policy on the suspension of classes will remain, Briones said.
“Classes in affected areas are automatically suspended based on the PAGASA declared storm signals,” she said.
“Local government units – not DepEd – decide on and announce class suspensions within their areas of jurisdiction in the absence of a storm signal,” Briones added.
DSWD standby funds
As Domeng intensified into a tropical storm yesterday, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DWSD) said its standby funds amounting to P1.156 million are available to respond to calamities.
“Our quick response teams (QRTs) are ready to respond to emegencies. Our field offices are also coordinating with the affected local government units for any assistance they might need,” DSWD acting secretary Virginia Orogo said.
Nestor Briones Ramos, DSWD Region 10 director, said they have prepositioned supplies of food and non-food items in Camiguin, Misamis Occidental and Iligan City.
He said 64,000 food packs are ready to be distributed to families who would be affected by the storm.