MikeLigalig.com

The Philstar
Thursday, November 22, 2007

The government has started evacuating thousands of people in Bicol ahead of tropical storm “Mina” (international code name Mitag) which is expected to hit the region tomorrow.

State weather forecasters said Mina is expected to inatensify into a super typhoon as it moves closer to the country in the next days.

Albay Gov. Jose Salceda has already ordered the suspension of classes in all levels in the province to facilitate the relocation of some 40,000 people living in areas prone to landslides, lahar flows and storm surges.

Mina, packing sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour with gusts of up to 100 kph, is approaching from the Philippine Sea.

Chief government forecaster Nathaniel Cruz of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Mina could become a super typhoon with winds of more than 220 kph when it makes landfall as early as Friday.

“It’s still far, and that means we have time to make preparations,” Cruz said.

“With two days in the open sea, it has a big potential to become a very strong typhoon.”

With the threat of a super typhoon hitting the country, the President has cut short her five-day visit to Singapore where she attended the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders’ summit and other meetings.

The President ordered the mass evacuation of residents in affected areas and other disaster preparations in anticipation of Mina, said Anthony Golez, deputy director of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

Golez said Mrs. Arroyo issued the evacuation order from Singapore, where she was attending a summit of ASEAN leaders.

“All these are precautionary measures of the President because she hates to see when she returns any untoward incident because of the typhoon,” he said.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Mrs. Arroyo will fly to Davao City from the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

From there, the following morning, the President will take a helicopter to Surigao City to inspect the flood-ravaged areas and monitor rescue and relief operations.

From Surigao City, the President will proceed to Iligan City before flying back to Manila in the afternoon, Ermita said.

Mrs. Arroyo ordered Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. to allow the immediate deployment of heavy equipment in response to flooding and landslides in Albay.

The Department of Health was also directed to ready stocks of medicine and medical supplies.

Mrs. Arroyo is scheduled to attend to families affected by tropical storm “Lando” (international name Hagibis), another tropical storm which blew out into the South China Sea on Tuesday, leaving 10 people dead and displacing about 30,000 others in Northern Mindanao, Central Visayas and Palawan.

Iligan City was worst hit by Lando, prompting the city government to declare a state of calamity. Four people are still missing as the body of a 13-year-old girl was retrieved yesterday in the aftermath of the storm.

The local government of Puerto Princesa in Palawan has also declared the city under a state of calamity.

Lando continued to move westward away from the country towards the Kalayaan Group of Islands.

Agriculture and infrastructure damage caused by Lando was estimated at P30.2 million, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said.

The storm also displaced a total of 18,520 people, including those from the Caraga region, NDCC officials said.

As of 10 a.m. yesterday, Lando was estimated to be 370 kms west of Puerto Princesa City, with sustained winds of 75 kph near the center and gushiness of up to 90 kph.

On the other hand, Pagasa director Prisco Nilo said Mina is coming in and is expected to further intensify while it is still over the Pacific Ocean.

“The tropical cyclone gets its energy from the water vapor,” Nilo told a news conference yesterday.

“It’s really good to prepare for the worst-case scenario,” he said.

As of 10 a.m. yesterday, Mina has gained more strength as it continues to move westward in the general direction of the Bicol region.

The eye of the storm was spotted at 870 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes. It is forecast to move west at 19 kph and expected to be in the vicinity of Camarines Norte by Saturday.

Lando and Mina are the 12th and 13th tropical cyclones to hit the country this year.

Pagasa officials said they are monitoring another storm outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) which might enter the country within the next five days.

The weather disturbance will be named “Nonoy” once it enters the PAR.

Nilo added the disturbance is expected to further intensify and is likely to follow the path of Mina.

Mina is expected to track the same path as “Reming,” the super typhoon that hit Bicol in November last year that left thousands of people dead and missing.

Pagasa described Reming as the “deadliest” typhoon to hit the country last year, overshadowing “Milenyo,” the howler that directly hit Metro Manila a week earlier.

OCD administrator Glenn Rabonza said the local disaster coordinating councils have prepared evacuation centers for affected families as well as relief goods to be provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral said “they are hoping that the typhoon will not be so strong as to exceed our capacity to respond.”

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