By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter
CLASSES at all levels in Metro Manila and several provinces have been suspended on July 25 due to the effects of Typhoon Emong, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Thursday.
The suspension, in effect since Monday, also applies to students under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). Government work in the affected areas was likewise suspended, except for essential personnel and emergency responders.
Areas placed under red rainfall warning, where more than 200 millimeters of rain are expected, include Ilocos Sur, La Union, Benguet, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan and Occidental Mindoro, the DILG said.
Areas under orange rainfall warning, where 150 to 200 millimeters of rainfall are expected, include Ilocos Norte, Abra, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Tarlac, Pampanga, Cavite, Laguna and Batangas.
Meanwhile, the yellow warning, which indicates rainfall between 50 to 150 millimeters, covers Apayao, Cagayan, Kalinga, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Rizal, Quezon, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Albay, Marinduque, Romblon, Oriental Mindoro and Palawan.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Emong might continue to intensify as it moves closer to northern Luzon. The typhoon was forecast to accelerate northeastward on Thursday night and make landfall in either La Union, Ilocos Sur or Ilocos Norte by Friday morning.
Emong was expected to directly affect parts of Northern and Central Luzon, while the enhanced southwest monsoon would bring significant rainfall to the rest of Luzon through midday Sunday, it said.
It said Tropical Storm Dante had exited the Philippine landmass. A new tropical storm outside the Philippine area of responsibility had developed with international name Krosa.
PAGASA warned that serious threats of flooding and landslides remained likely in many parts of Luzon. Local government units should remain on alert and activate emergency measures in response to severe weather conditions.
PAGASA raised storm surge warnings for northern Luzon as Typhoon Emong intensified from a severe tropical storm, bringing widespread rainfall and floods across the country.
STORM SURGESIn a 4 p.m. weather bulletin, it said Emong was spotted 145 kilometers west of Dagupan City and was slowly moving east-southeast. The weather bureau earlier reported that the typhoon’s maximum sustained winds had increased to 120 kilometers per hour (kph) as of 11 a.m. from 45 kph the day before.
PAGASA warned of a moderate to high risk of storm surges in the next 24 hours, possibly inundating low-lying coastal communities with rising seawater and large waves.
Residents in those areas were advised to stay away from coastal zones and suspend all marine activities.
Authorities also reported at least 12 deaths due to recent heavy rains and flooding triggered by the southwest monsoon and a series of cyclones.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), in its morning report, said two of the deaths — recorded in Northern Mindanao and Caraga — have been validated.
Three deaths were reported in Calabarzon, two each in Northern Mindanao and Western Visayas, and one each in Metro Manila, Mimaropa, and the Davao region. The agency also recorded eight missing persons, with two in Western Visayas confirmed.
The remaining six — three in Metro Manila, two in Calabarzon, and one more in Western Visayas — were still being validated.
The NDRRMC said about 2.73 million people from 765,000 families have been affected by the recent weather disturbances.
Earlier in the week, intense monsoon rains enhanced by Severe Tropical Storm Crising caused the Marikina River to reach its third and highest alarm level, prompting the evacuation of more than 23,000 residents to temporary shelters in schools and village centers.
“One year after the devastating effects of Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon, we are again forced to endure the same perennial problem of inadequate disaster response and management,” Cleng Julve, secretary general of the scientist group AGHAM, said in a statement.
“Despite P680.2 billion allocated for flood management from 2023 to 2025, including P249.8 billion this year alone, massive flooding continues to devastate communities,” the group said.
From July 19 to 22, the combined effects of Crising and the southwest monsoon dumped 573 millimeters of rain over Metro Manila — exceeding the monthly average rainfall for July based on PAGASA’s climatological norms, AGHAM said.
“More than a month’s worth of rain fell in four days’ time, but rainfall alone is not to blame,” it said. “Metro Manila’s infrastructure is not built for extreme weather events. The projects being done do not respond to our country’s reality as susceptible to typhoons, what more with the changes brought about by the climate crisis.”
The Department of Agriculture (DA) said farm damage from the rains and floods had reached P454 million, up from P323.15 million the day before. It said 20,413 hectares of farmland and 20,959 farmers and fisherfolk were affected.
The agency said it had begun distributing P596.5 million worth of assistance including rice, corn and vegetable seeds, seedlings, pesticides, forage seeds, free-range chickens and fingerlings. Additionally, 2,100 bags of rice from the National Food Authority were delivered to local governments in Palawan and Albay.
The Agricultural Credit Policy Council has allotted P400 million in interest-free loans, while the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. has been ordered to expedite indemnity payments.
Hours after returning from the US, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. visited Maly Elementary School in San Mateo, Rizal province, where families displaced by recent flooding have taken temporary shelter.
The President was met by evacuees and residents upon his arrival at the school, which has been serving as an evacuation center.
Evacuees chanted “BBM” (Bongbong Marcos) as the President walked through the premises and interacted with families affected by the floods. He also led the distribution of government aid to displaced residents. — with Chloe Mari A. Hufana
