Weather improves as Gorio exits

The weather is expected to gradually improve in the western section of Luzon today as Typhoon Gorio heads to Taiwan, but authorities are again left to determine how to address flooding caused by drainage clogged due to garbage.

Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) supervising operations officer Bong Nebrija said they

have collected more than 24 cu- bic meters of garbage, mostly household trash, during their operations in Metro Manila a few days after the tropical storm that developed into a typhoon Friday.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomi- cal Services Administration (PAGASA)’s monitoring yesterday showed Gorio maintained its strength but is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility this morning as it heads to Taiwan.

However, stormy weather will still be experienced in the Batanes Group of Islands. Rains with gusty winds will prevail over the Babuyan Group of Islands. Monsoon rains which may trigger flashfloods and landslides is expected over the regions of Ilocos, Cordillera and the provinces of Zambales and Bataan, PAGASA noted in its weather bulletin.

“Cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms will be experienced over Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon. Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms will prevail over the rest of the country,” PAGASA said.

“Estimated rainfall amount is from moderate to heavy within the 500 (kilometer) diameter of the typhoon,” PAGASA added.

Meanwhile, the tropical depression located over the West Philippine Sea was estimated at 435 kilometers west of Laoag City, Ilocos Norte outside of the Philippine area of responsibility. PAGASA weather forecasters said these weather disturbances will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon that will bring moderate to occasionally heavy rains over the western section of Northern and Central Luzon.

PAGASA said Gorio is likely to remain stronger than the tropical depression and eventually absorb it.

It also warned that sea travel is risky over the seaboards of Northern Luzon and the western seaboard of Central and Southern Luzon.

Truckloads of garbage

MMDA’s Nebrija said they are now asking the assistance of barangay officials to ensure that the garbage of every household in Metro is properly disposed to prevent flooding.

He said the MMDA will continue to have a hard time clearing the metropolis of garbage if the residents will not cooperate.

“It’s difficult to put the blame on the barangays as garbage accumulates from one place to another, but we already asked them to ask their constituents not to throw trash into the creeks,” he said.

Persons who will be caught throwing garbage in the creeks will be fined P5,000 or more, while violators of the MMDA’s anti-littering policy will be fined P500 or community service for those who cannot afford to pay the fine.

Three truckloads of garbage were illegally left behind yesterday morning by still unidentified persons in Barangay Balingasa Balintawak, Quezon City a few days after Gorio hit the metropolis.

Nebrija said the heaps of trash were thrown before 6 a.m. in Balingasa allegedly by garbage collectors who did not make it to the dumpsite in Payatas.

He explained the Payatas dumpsite was temporarily closed during the onslaught of Gorio due to the condition of the site, and resumed operation only yesterday morning.

Nebrija said it took almost two hours for them to collect the garbage and clear the area as they sought the help of the local government unit in Quezon City.

The MMDA could not yet determine the persons responsible for the trash left behind because the closed-circuit television cameras (CCTVs) they installed in the area were disconnected due to heavy rains, he said.

Barangay chair Maria Teresa Montalbo, meanwhile, denied allegations that the truckloads of trash were illegally dumped.