Residents fled their homes as widespread flooding hit several towns, rendering roads impassable, while flights were canceled and classes suspended as tropical cyclone Paolo roared northward across Luzon yesterday.
Paolo weakened into a severe tropical storm yesterday afternoon after making landfall in Ilocos Sur, but authorities warned it will continue to bring strong winds, heavy rains and dangerous coastal conditions as it moves over the West Philippine Sea.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Paolo’s center was located over the coastal waters of Santa Cruz, Ilocos Sur at 4 p.m.
It packed maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour near the center, with gusts of up to 165 kph while moving west-northwest at 35 kph, with strong to storm-force winds extending up to 480 kilometers from the center.
As of 5 p.m., Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 3 remained hoisted over parts of Northern and Central Luzon, including Ilocos Sur, La Union, Benguet and portions of Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province and Ifugao. PAGASA warned of ‘moderate to significant’ threats to life and property in these areas.
Signal No. 2 was raised over parts of Ilocos Norte, Pangasinan, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija and nearby provinces, while Signal No. 1 was up in Cagayan, Apayao, Batanes, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, Aurora, Tarlac and northern Quezon, including the Polillo Islands.
Authorities also warned of life-threatening storm surges up to three meters along the coasts of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, Cagayan, Isabela and Aurora within the next 24 hours.
A gale warning was issued for the seaboards of Northern Luzon and the eastern coast of Central Luzon, with seas reaching up to six meters. Sea travel remains risky, and all vessels were advised to stay in port until conditions improve.
While Paolo has weakened into a severe tropical storm, PAGASA said it is expected to re-intensify into a typhoon within 12 hours before exiting the Philippine area of responsibility this morning.
Typhoon’s impact
As Paolo battered the country yesterday, at least 55 families in Ifugao fled their homes after Magat Dam opened its gates to release rising reservoir levels, with Alfonso Lista town placed under high-risk alert.
Evacuations were also reported in Kiangan, Hungduan, Mayoyao and Asipulo, where local disaster teams continue to provide aid and relief assistance.
In Batangas, widespread flooding hit several towns including Lemery, Lian, Tuy, Nasugbu and Calaca City, forcing hundreds of families to evacuate.
Floodwaters rendered roads and spillways impassable, caused power outages in Agoncillo and led to class suspensions across multiple municipalities.
Sea and air travel were also disrupted. The Philippine Coast Guard reported 48 passengers stranded in ports across Luzon, along with dozens of vessels and rolling cargoes halted due to rough seas.
Sixteen domestic flights of Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific were canceled, mostly affecting routes to Tuguegarao, Cauayan and Laoag.
Classes were likewise suspended in several provinces, including all levels in La Union, after the province was placed under Signal No. 2.
P1.62 billion aid released
The Department of Budget and Management has approved the release of P1.62 billion from the disaster and calamity fund.
Of this, the Department of Public Works and Highways received P1 billion to replenish its quick response fund for reconstruction, rehabilitation and the prepositioning of goods and equipment in affected areas.
Key areas will also benefit from an additional P425 million from the Local Government Support Fund, including P150 million for Cebu, P75 million each for San Remigio, Bogo City and Medellin and P50 million for Borbon.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund has P5.3 billion available to support broader rehabilitation efforts and repair damaged infrastructure.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) was allocated P625 million for stock relief supplies and emergency cash assistance to families in areas declared under a state of calamity.
DSWD placed all frontliners on red alert while continuing support to communities affected by the recent magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Cebu and typhoons in Masbate and Northern Mindanao.
The agency has also mobilized its full disaster response capacity, including food boxes, mobile kitchens and regional command centers.
Assistant Secretary Leo Quintilla noted that food pack production averages 18,000 to 25,000 boxes daily, with plans to increase output to 70,000-80,000 in the coming days.
As of Oct. 3, more than 2.3 million food packs were prepositioned nationwide, with Region 2 holding 137,661 boxes, Region 3 with 249,533, Ilocos Region at 52,000 and the Cordillera Administrative Region over 65,000.