All systems ready for typhoon’s wrath

By William B Depasupil

The Manila Times, Monday, 18 October 2010

WITH lessons learned from past devastating typhoons, the national government, more than ever, is now well prepared and well-equipped for any eventuality once “Super Typhoon Juan” makes its expected landfall Monday in the northern Luzon area.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), headed by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, said Sunday that everything is now in place in Regions I and II and the Cordillera Autonomous Region, the areas that were expected to be hit directly by the incoming typhoon.

“The President’s [Benigno Aquino 3rd] instruction is zero casualty,” said Benito Ramos, the NDRRMC director and concurrent chairman of the Office of the Civil Defense.

“During the last three days, my regional directors in Regions I, II and the Cordillera were in close coordination with the local government units of Ilocos Region, Cordillera and Cagayan Valley.”

“They are all prepared. All systems go,” he added.

According to Ramos, pre-emptive evacuations have already been voluntarily made by residents in low-lying areas and in landslide prone places as early as Saturday, or two days before the expected landfall of Juan.

“They have learned their lessons from typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. They are now listening and don’t wait anymore for the effort of the national government to evacuate them,” he said.

Ramos added that the designated evacuation centers have been identified in every towns and cities in close coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, volunteer organizations and with well-equipped disaster response teams.

The Social Welfare department, Ramos disclosed, had already distributed 3,928 family food packs worth P2.28 million in Regions I, II and the CAR, and P46.10-million worth of non-food items. The agency also has a standby fund of P2.734 million.

Ramos said further that the entire force of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippines National Police have also been alerted to assist the local governments, down to the barangay level.

He added that the Department of Education has already declared the suspension of classes in all the affected regions following reports from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), that the typhoon has not deviated from its projected direction toward Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Region and Apayao.

Navy on standby

In a related development, the Philippine Navy spokesman, Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, said Sunday that the Navy’s Disaster Response Task Groups were already on standby alert at the Naval Forces Northern Luzon (NFNL) in La Union, and Naval Forces Southern Luzon (NFSL) in Legazpi City, Albay, and as well as the Fleet-Marine Ready Force (FMRF) task units in the Manila-Cavite areas.

The Philippine Navy’s DRTGs are on alert in preparation for the possible devastating effects of Juan.

According to Arevalo, all Navy ships and patrol boats were also on standby and ready to conduct rescue operations if the need arises.

“The Philippine Navy is continuously monitoring events in relation to Typhoon Juan,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ramos said that Gazmin has cancelled his trip to Cagayan province on Sunday because of bad weather caused by Juan.

“Hindi matuloy, nag-back out yung piloto ng Philippine Air Force dahil kumapal ang ulap dito sa may Caraballo mountain [The trip did not push through.

The pilot of the Philippine Air Force backed out because of the thick clouds at the mountain of Caraballo],” he added.

Gazmin was supposed to oversee the preparations being made in Cagayan to ensure that nothing has been left out.

Meanwhile, thousands of families in Northern Luzon were evacuated with Juan fast approaching Isabela and Cagayan.

“Residents along the river banks and coastal areas have left their homes. We opened four evacuation centers,” said Edna Junio, provincial social welfare development officer of Cagayan province.

Isabela getting ready

Preparations were also being made in Isabela where some 100,000 hectares of palay (unhusked rice) still to be harvested may be lost to the floods that Juan will bring.

As of Sunday afternoon, rains were starting to fall in parts of northern Isabela. The flood prone areas in the province include the entire northern coastal stretch from Santa Ana to Santa Praxedes, which are all along the Cagayan River and the Pacific coast.

In Isabela, full alert had been raised for all towns along the Cagayan and Magat rivers including the capital of Ilagan, while the same was raised in Nueva Vizcaya for towns along the Magat River or for towns along the Cagayan River in Quirino province.

WITH REPORTS FROM FRANCIS C. HIDALGO JR. AND XINHUA

'Juan' Now a Super Typhoon

By ELLALYN B. DE VERA

Manila Bulletin, Monday, 18 October 2010

• Signal No. 4 up in Cagayan, Isabela
• Classes suspended in N. Luzon
• Evacuation begins
• Power grid, rescuers ready

MANILA, Philippines – Northern Luzon where it is expectedTyphoon “Juan” (international name: Megi) intensified into a “super typhoon” as it roared closer to to make landfall this morning, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Sunday.

Storm Signal No. 4 (winds above 185 kilometers per hour) had already been hoisted in Cagayan and Isabela provinces at 4 p.m. Sunday, said PAGASA Weather Forecasting Section Chief Robert Sawi as “Juan” packed maximum sustained winds of up to 225 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 260 kph.

Technically, PAGASA does not have a “super typhoon” category, but Sawi explained that the United States-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center declares a cyclone as a super typhoon when its winds exceed 215 kph near the center.

As of 5 p.m. Sunday, the eye of the typhoon was located at 390 kilometers (km) east of Aparri, Cagayan and moving westward at 22 kilometers per hour (kph).

“There is a 90 percent chance of landfall over the Cagayan area, then it will cross Apayao, and exit Ilocos Norte,” said PAGASA weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio.

PAGASA projected that the super typhoon would make landfall in Aparri, Cagayan, at 8 a.m. Monday and dump an estimated rainfall of 22 mm/hr.

Sawi said Juan which will be at 100 km east of Aparri or 50 km southeast of Laoag City this afternoon, can possibly exit the country also Monday.

Areas placed Sunday under Signal No. 3 (winds of 101-185 kph is expected in at least 18 hours) were Batanes, Calayan and Babuyan Groups of Islands, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Quirino and Northern Aurora.

Signal No. 2 (winds of 61-100 kph is expected in at least 24 hours) was hoisted over Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, La Union, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, and the rest of Aurora.

Signal No. 1 (winds of 30-60 kph is expected within the next 36 hours) was raised in Pangasinan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, and Polillo Island.

Classes have already been suspended in Regions 1, 2 and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

PRE-EMPTIVE EVACUATION BEGINS IN CAGAYAN

As this developed, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council or NDRRMC (formerly the National Disaster Coordinating Council) ordered the pre-emptive evacuation of families living in high-risk areas as early as Sunday.

In Tuguegarao City, all families in coastal areas who are expected to be directly affected by the projected landfall the typhoon this morning have begun evacuations.

In a phone interview, Cagayan’s Social Welfare and Development Officer Edna Junio said as of press time that the different rescue groups are busy helping the local residents in going to the designated preemptive evacuation centers in the province.

“These residents are living along the river banks and coastal areas in Buguey, Gonzaga, Sta. Ana, Ballesteros up to Aparri towns in our province,” Junio said.

Meanwhile, Executive Director Benito Ramos of the NDRRMC, said that aside from Cagayan province, many families are also tend to evacuate in the province of Nueva Ecija especially those living near the Casili River, San Mariano River, and Chico River.

RESCUE TEAMS READY

Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, Navy Public Affairs Office (NPAO) director said the Philippine Navy’s disaster response task groups (DRTG) have been on alert since Friday in preparation for Juan, the strongest storm to enter the country this year, so far.

Arevalo said the DRTGs are prepositioned at the Naval Forces Northern Luzon (NFNL) in La Union, Naval Forces Southern Luzon (NFSL) in Legaspi City, and the Fleet-Marine Ready Force’s (FMRF) task units in the Manila-Cavite areas.

“In Northern Luzon, three teams are on standby with two teams located at the NFNL Headquarters.

The third team at the Naval detachment Bonoan is manned by naval reservists to augment the Navy’s regular force in the area,” said Arevalo, adding that each team has 10 personnel and equipped with a rubber boat and other life-saving equipment.

Meanwhile, two teams are also on standby at the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) in San Antonio, Zambales to respond to citizens in need.

Arevalo said a team of Navy SEALS are also on standby. Augmenting these teams are naval ROTC cadets.

In Manila, two teams from the Naval Reserve Command (NRC) in Intramuros are on standby with 10 personnel each team.

NATIONAL GRID BRACES FOR STORM

Power transmission service provider and system operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said Sunday it was all set to activate its command centers Sunday in preparation for the expected landfall of the typhoon Monday.

The NGCP’s system operations and operations and maintenance personnel in Luzon and Visayas have been enjoined to make all necessary precautions to minimize the impact of the typhoon.

To coordinate contingency measures in all NGCP facilities in the path of the typhoon, command centers at the head office, regional and district levels will be activated 24 hours before landfall.

Monitoring of grid conditions, assessment of damages, supervision over rehabilitation and restoration works, and documentation will all be done at the command centers.

All telecommunication facilities, equipment, tools and vehicles have been secured and groups of linemen have been organized and prepared to be deployed at any emergency.

M.M.D.A., MAYORS ACTIVATE DISASTER RESPONSE UNITS

Still on alert for the possible damage to be caused by the super typhoon, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and lead government agencies in disaster response situations have activated personnel and equipment ready to respond in any emergency.

In an emergency meeting with government agencies held Sunday, MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino assured the public of their readiness when typhoon Juan hit Metro Manila.

“We have synchronized all measures that we have undertaken should typhoon Juan bring a large amount of rain in the metropolis. Key government agencies expressed readiness to assist the public in worst scenarios prepared to cope with the possible destruction of typhoon Juan in the unlikely event it will hit Metro Manila,” said Tolentino.

On Sunday, the MMDA chief presided inter-agency meeting attended by Metro Manila Police Director Chief Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome and representatives from the Armed Forces of the Philippines-National Capital Region Command (AFP-NCR-Com), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) where they presented their reports. (With reports from Elena L. Aben, Freddie G. Lazaro, and Anna Liza T. Villas)

RP-US military exercises kick off today

By Ding Cervantes

The Philippine Star, Thursday, 14 October 2010

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga, Philippines – Apart from their annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise which opened yesterday in Olongapo City, Filipino and US military forces are kicking off their joint Amphibious Landing Exercises (Phiblex) here today.

In a statement, the US embassy said the opening rites for Phiblex are slated at 10 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Hotel here.

“The two-week long training will be held simultaneously in various locations in Luzon covering the areas of Cavite, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Zambales and Pampanga,” the US embassy said.

The bilateral exercises, according to the embassy, “are designed to improve interoperability, increase readiness, and continue professional relationships” between the Philippine and US armed forces.

The Philippine Marine Corps and Air Force will join US Marines from the Japan-based 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force and US sailors from the Essex Expeditionary Strike Group in both the ground-air and naval integration training, it added.

In addition to these exercises, the Philippine Marines, together with other military units, will join US military personnel in community activities such as medical and dental missions, construction of schools and repair of classrooms, and beautification projects in selected communities, the US embassy said.

Phiblex activities open to media coverage include live-fire training at Crow Valley in Capas, Tarlac.

The Phiblex closing ceremonies are slated on Oct. 22 at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.

Meanwhile, CARAT is the US Navy’s 7th Fleet annual exercise with the Philippine Navy to improve interoperability between them.

CARAT includes amphibious landings, humanitarian civic action, subject matter expert exchanges, naval operations symposia, community service projects, and diving and salvage operations.

Navy volleyball team confident of victory

By Jose T Ramos

The Manila Times, Thursday, 14 October 2010

Philippine Navy head coach Zenaida Ybañez is confident her team will dominate this year’s 2010 National Volleyball Open women’s division. “Our next two opponents are both strong but I’m confident with the way we’re playing right now,” said Ybañez after the Navy’s easy victory over Rizal Technological University (RTU) on Wednesday at the EARIST gym in Santa Mesa Manila.

The Navy, relying heavily on Angela Benting, Nerissa Bautista, Michelle Laborte and Suzanne Roces, scored a 25-13, 25-21, 25-21 win against RTU to stay unscathed in three games to top the women’s division.

Benting and Bautista, who led Adamson University to V-League title recently, joined forces by combining 24 kills all-throughout the three sets as the Navy delivered RTU its second straight setback.

“My players did not force themselves to save energy against De La Salle University tomorrow [Thursday],” said Ybañez, a member of the 1993 women volleyball squad that won gold in the Singapore Southeast Asian Games.

In the other games, La Salle beat winless University of the East (0-2), 25-17, 25-10, 25-16, for back-to-back victories while reigning champion Philippine Army (1-1) trounced Air Force (1-2), 25-14, 25-20, 25-27, 25-17.