Maritime travel, flights canceled
Typhoon Betty forced the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to halt maritime travel on the ports of Alabat, Atimonan, Dalahican and Cotta in Quezon on Monday.
The PCG prohibited any vessels with a gross tonnage of 250 or less from sailing, based on the weather forecast released by PAGASA.
Sea voyages may continue when the weather and sea conditions permit and PAGASA declares it appropriate, according to Commodore Janus Robinson Sabas of Coast Guard Station-Southern Quezon.
Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific Air and its sister company Cebgo announced the cancellation of 10 domestic flights on Monday due to Betty.
Cebu Pacific Corporate Communications head Carmina Romero said they cancelled flights from Manila to Cauayan, Laoag, Tuguegarao and their turnaround flights while Cebgo cancelled the Manila-Masbate-Manila flights.
Romero said passengers may avail themselves of their preferred option online up to two hours before their scheduled time of departure through the Manage Booking portal.
Class suspensions
The towns of Luna and Sudipen in La Union have suspended classes in both public and private schools, as well as work in government offices on Monday due to the typhoon.
Mayor Gary Pinzon of Luna and Mayor Wendy Joy Buquing of Sudipen have also banned fishing in seas and rivers because of the strong current.
In Siaton, Negros Oriental, Mayor Cezanne Fritz Diaz suspended classes for all public and private elementary and high schools due to heavy rains brought by enhanced southwest monsoon.
Diaz added that the southwest monsoon was being enhanced by typhoon Betty and that flash floods and landslides are possible due to moderate to heavy rains.
Meanwhile, all courthouses in the province of Batanes have been suspended starting Monday until further notice due to typhoon Betty, according to the order released by Batanes acting Presiding Judge Ma. Antonia Largoza-Cantero. All pleadings and concerns on cases, Cantero said, should be addressed through the Batanes Regional Trial Court’s emails.
P5.5 B crops saved
The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday said that at least P5.5 billion crops, including P4.84 billion rice plantations were saved after farmers in Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Ilocos, Central Luzon and Bicol heeded the call of the agency to harvest early.
According to the DA, 287,826 metric tons of total palay production were secured from 64,735 hectares of plantations.
The DA added that a total of P709 million worth of corn were harvested from 6,925 hectares of plantations from the five regions.
At the same time, DA assured assistance to affected farmers and fishers, including the distribution of 681,205 bags of rice seeds, 21,192 bags of corn seeds, and 20,454 kilograms of assorted vegetable seeds from all regions.
The DA will also offer at least P25,000 loan assistance to farmers and fisherfolk under the Survival and Recovery Loan Program from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council.
The Office of Civil Defense gave assurance yesterday that concerned government agencies have at least P2.7 billion in standby funds that can be tapped if needed in areas affected by Typhoon Betty.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development alone has P2.2 billion in stockpile and standby funds in its central office, field offices and National Resource Operations Center. – With Michael Punongbayan, Neil Jayson Servallos, Rudy Santos, Michelle Zoleta, Jun Elias, Ralph Edwin Villanueva