New tropical threat now in PH territory

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

DISASTER response and rescue teams have been mobilized in Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental as a weather system that intensified into a typhoon entered Philippine territory yesterday.

Luz Mercado, a weather specialist at the El Salvador station of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, warned: “Dako kaayo ang iyang cloud formation ani nga halos iyang tabonan ang entire Mindanao.”

Mercado said the weather system entered the Philippine area of responsibility at around 10 am yesterday as a low pressure area. It was 925 kilometers east of Hinatu-an, Surigao del Sur.

Pagasa said it picked up strength as it hovered over warm ocean water and turned into a storm which it named “Vinta,” the 22 storm to hit the country this year.

Mercado said Pagasa would continue to keep an eye on the threat which she described as Urduja-like.

She said weather system has already brought rains in Caraga, the Davao region, and northern Mindanao.

Local governments in Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental sounded alarm bells even as their disaster responders and rescuers started preparing for the threat.

Allan Porcadilla, head of city hall’s disaster risk reduction management department, said an emergency meeting was called yesterday afternoon in order to map out plans. The group includes the police and military.

Porcadilla expressed worry about the size of the cloud formation, and said city hall was closely monitoring it.

He said city hall was also keeping an eye on flood-prone areas from Balulang to Bonbon and  Macasandig to Macabalan especially those near Iponan River, Biga-an River, Ulamag River in Tablon and Bugo, and landslide-prone areas.

The Limketkai area, he said, was also being closely watched by city hall.

“Kanang ’Ketkai, dako gyud na nga problima kay bisan hinay ra ang ulan, mobaha na dayon,” Porcadilla said.

All the measures being done are aimed at achieving “zero casualty” in case the weather system brings destruction.

At the capitol, Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano said key capitol people and heavy equipment operators may be required to spend Christmas away from their homes in case the tropical threat picks up more strength.

Landslide- and flood-prone areas in the province were being closely monitored now, Emano said.

These areas include Gingoog City and the towns of Talisayan, Balingasag, Tagoloan all the way to Lugait.

Emano said the capitol’s actions in the coming days would be based on information from Pagasa.

“We will follow the Pagasa reports, but we will be on standby mode starting Dec. 23,” he said.