Seven dead as Typhoon Vamco triggers Philippine capital's worst floods in years

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday ordered government agencies to hasten relief efforts after a powerful typhoon killed at least seven people and unleashed some of the worst flooding in years in the capital Manila.

Duterte cut short his attendance of a virtual meeting of Southeast Asian leaders to inspect the damage from Typhoon Vamco, moments after a speech during which he urged his counterparts to urgently combat the effects of climate change.

The typhoon, the eighth to hit the Philippines in the past two months and 21st of the year, forced residents to scramble onto rooftops to await rescue after tens of thousands of homes were submerged.

Those killed across the main island of Luzon, home to half of the country’s 108 million population, included people who drowned, an elderly man hit by a tree and three workers crushed when a warehouse collapsed.

It struck areas still reeling from Goni, the most powerful typhoon in the world this year, which killed 25 people and destroyed thousands of homes earlier this month.

“Rest assured, the government will not leave anybody behind,” Duterte said in a national address, pledging shelter, relief goods, financial aid and counselling.

Nearly 200,000 people were evacuated before Vamco arrived late on Wednesday packing winds of 155 kilometres (96 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 255 kph (158 mph). It has since weakened and exited the mainland.

Duterte told Southeast Asian leaders the devastation of recent weeks was “a stark reminder of the urgency of collective action to combat the effects of climate change”.

‘OVERWHELMING’

Nearly three million households in and around Manila were without power as people waded through waist-high floods, carrying valuables and pets.

Coastguard swam through brown floodwater as high as electricity poles in some areas, while rescue workers used rubber boats and makeshift floats to move children and the elderly to safety.

In some suburbs east of Manila, residents took refuge atop flooded homes.

“The flood reached the entire second floor of our house. For more than eight hours, we stayed at our neighbour’s house,” call center worker Albert Rano, 35, told Reuters.

“Aside from some clothes and laptops, nothing is left.”

The typhoons have battered the Philippines as it faces an uphill struggle to breathe life into its withering economy while keeping coronavirus infections under control.

Roughly 40,000 homes had either been fully or partially submerged in the Marikina area, a situation its mayor, Marcelino Teodoro, said was “overwhelming” and the worst since a typhoon flooded large swathes of the capital in 2009.

“The local government cannot handle this,” Teodoro told DZMM radio, requesting motorised boats and airlifts.

Residents posted images on social media of flooded homes and the disaster agency said parts of 36 cities and towns were inundated.

Flights and mass transit in Manila were suspended and port operations stopped. Government work was halted and financial markets shut.

Vamco was headed towards Vietnam, where devastating floods and mudslides over the past month have killed at least 160 people in central areas.

Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Additional Reporting by Eloisa Lopez and Enrico Dela Cruz; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Ed Davies and Martin Petty

-reuters-

Supermarkets open but no public transport: What 'enhanced community quarantine' means

MANILA  — Effective midnight March 17, Tuesday, the entire Luzon will be placed under an enhanced community quarantine that will see the suspension of mass public transport and imposition of home quarantine, among many other restrictions, on all residents in the main island until April 12.

"A strict home quarantine shall be observed in all households; movement shall be limited to accessing basic necessities... Mass public transport facilities shall be suspended; and land, air and sea travel shall be restricted," according to the memorandum issued by Malacañang.

In an earlier public address, President Rodrigo Duterte said tougher quarantine measures are meant to prevent the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from spreading to other parts of the country.

"I am placing the entire mainland of Luzon under quarantine until April 12, 2020 coinciding with the entire end of the Holy Week... We do not have the luxury of time to wait if there is really such a connection of a contagion somewhere. I cannot go into a guessing game. I have to act," Duterte said in a pre-taped public address.

In a later press conference, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the "general rule" of the Luzon-wide quarantine is to "stay at home."

"Ang general rule ay stay at home. If you leave your home to buy necessities, only one person ang puwede bumili, hindi puwede isama ang buong pamilya... Gusto natin 'yung walang galawan because we want the virus to stop from spreading," said Nograles, who is also the spokesperson of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) leading the country’s response to the virus outbreak.

Private establishments providing basic necessities are allowed to operate during the enhanced quarantine period, according to the Palace. These include:

* public markets
* supermarkets
* groceries
* convenience stores
* hospitals
* medical clinics
* pharmacies and drug stores
* food preparation and delivery services
* water-refilling stations, manufacturing and processing plants of basic food products and medicines
* banks
* money transfer services
* power, energy, water, and telecommunications supplies and facilities

Meanwhile, classes and all school activities in all levels in Luzon are suspended until April 14.

A work-from-home arrangement will likewise be implemented in the executive branch, except the PNP, AFP, PCG, and health and emergency frontline services, border control and other critical services, which will operate on a "skeletal work force."

Media personnel intending to travel within the quarantine area are required to obtain identification cards from the Presidential Communications Operations Office within 72 hours from the issuance of the memorandum.

The new declaration is a stricter and wider version of a general community quarantine which was earlier imposed in Metro Manila.

Nograles said the enhanced community quarantine may be abbreviated or expanded, depending on the assessment of IATF.

"Puwede siyang mapaikli if the situation warrants pero puwede din humaba depende sa situation."

As of Monday night, there are 142 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, including 12 fatalities.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Thousands more Filipinos displaced as volcanic lava fires ash 5 km high

MANILA - The number of people displaced by an erupting Philippine volcano soared to more than 61,000 by Wednesday, the Southeast Asian country's disaster agency said, as Mount Mayon ejected lava that produced an ash plume 5 km (3 miles) high.

The alert remains just one notch below the highest level of 5 after five more episodes of "intense but sporadic lava fountaining" from the summit crater over a 19-hour period from Tuesday morning, state volcanologists said.

Lava fountains 500-600 meters (1,640-1,970 feet) high lasted between 7 minutes and more than an hour and generated ash plumes 3-5 km (2-3 miles) above the crater, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

Schools were shut in 17 cities and municipalities in Albay and nearby Camarines Sur province, which was also affected by ashfall. Some 56 flights were cancelled because of Mayon, the Philippines' most active and most picturesque volcano.

There were 55,068 residents in temporary shelters, a substantial increase from about 40,000 on Monday. Some 6,165 evacuees were staying elsewhere.

The number of displaced increased after the provincial government expanded the danger zone around the 2,462-metre (8,077-foot) volcano to a radius of 9 km from the Phivolcs-recommended 8 km no-go zone.

Mayon's sporadic eruption, which began on Jan. 13, has affected 54 villages in Albay, with a combined population of 71,373 people.

(Reporting by Enrico dela Cruz; Editing by Martin Petty and Paul Tait)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Quake hits Luzon

Escalating temblors a minute apart traced to still shaken Batangas

 The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded a third earthquake in Batangas Saturday afternoon, pegging its magnitude at 5.0 some 20 minutes after twin shocks hit the province.

The USGS said the third quake struck struck at 3:29 p.m. Saturday 1 km west northwest of Taysan town, also in Batangas. The town is located east of Mabini, where two quakes a minute apart hit less than half an hour earlier.

There is no information yet whether the third quake was an aftershock.

The third tremor was recorded after twin quakes hit Mabini:

The first hit 2 kms east northeast of Bagalangit village at 3:08 p.m., with a magnitude of 5.7. A 5.9-magnitude temblor hit a minute later, 1 km south southwest of Talaga in the same town.

The quake's origin is proximate to the island town of Tingloy, where a 5.5-magnitude quake hit just before 9 p.m. Tuesday. It generated multiple aftershocks.

The temblor was felt around Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon, according to netizens' reports online.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) meanwhile pegged the earthquake at magnitude 5.6, with its epicenter 2 kms northwest of Mabini.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Magnitude 6 quake rattles Luzon

MANILA – A magnitude 6 earthquake hit San Antonio, Zambales before dawn on Sunday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

Phivolcs located the quake's epicenter 43 kilometers southwest of San Antonio town. The quake struck at 3:31 a.m.

Phivolcs said the following intensities were felt:

Intensity IV (moderately strong) - Pasig City; Pasay City; Manila City; Quezon City; Hagonoy, Bulacan; Makati City; San Mateo, Rizal; Obando, Bulacan

Intensity III (weak) - Tagaytay City; San Miguel, Tarlac

Intensity II (slightly felt) - Baguio City; Batangas City

Phivolcs said Intensity IV is "felt generally by people indoors and by some people outdoors. Light sleepers are awakened. Vibration is felt like a passing of heavy truck. Hanging objectsswing considerably.

"Dinner, plates, glasses, windows and doors rattle. Floors and walls of wood framed buildings creak. Standing motor cars may rock slightly. Liquids in containers are slightly disturbed. Water in containers oscillate strongly. Rumbling sound may sometimes be heard."

The quake, which was tectonic in origin, struck at a depth of 85 kilometers.

Phivolcs said the quake will not cause damage but is expected to produce aftershocks.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Typhoon Basyang Caused A Massive Blackout

Typhoon Basyang international name Typhoon Conson hits Metro Manila. Much of Luzon had no electricity and damaged all the power transmission lines 12:41 a.m including Metro Manila. Nearly one hundred percent of Metro Manila experienced a massive blackout because of typhoon Basyang. Classes have been suspended in primary and secondary levels.

Typhoon Basyang unexpectedly hit Metro Manila because it was first forecast to hit Central Luzon without people expecting it to due to belief that the PAGASA weather forecast was dependable and reliable.


Commercial power has been out. There is power interruption, communication lines were cut. Aside from battery issues, all the networks were down, No internet connection.