AFTER tropical storms Luis and Maymay, it’s now Tropical Depression Neneng and the prevailing enhanced southwest monsoon that threaten Luzon and the Visayas, possibly further worsening the flood situation in low-lying areas including Metro Manila, the weather bureau warned.
In its weather advisory issued at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the southwest monsoon will bring strong to gale-force gusts on Wednesday and Thursday in most of Luzon and Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, and Davao Region.
On Friday, monsoon rains will affect most of Luzon, Panay Island, Negros Occidental, Northern Samar, and Davao Oriental.
The inclement weather over the past few days has drenched Luzon, affecting over five million people.
It must be emphasized that heavy rainfall and severe winds may still be experienced in localities outside the landfall point and the forecast confidence cone, Pagasa said. Furthermore, the track may still shift within the limit of the forecast confidence cone, it added.
Neneng has maintained its strength as its moves northwestward over the sea, east of Southern Taiwan, where it is expected to make landfall by Thursday afternoon or evening.
Pagasa added that Neneng will remain a tropical depression in the next 36 hours before weakening into a remnant low over or near Taiwan on Friday morning.
Neneng was spotted 530 km East-Northeast of Itbayat, Batanes, packing maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 70 kph.
It is moving northwestward at 30 kph.
Before Neneng entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), tropical cyclones Luis, Maymay and the southwest monsoon battered Luzon with moderate to heavy rains.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the inclement weather triggered landslides and severe flooding, killing 27 people as of 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
The NDRRMC said some 1.5 million families or 5.39 million persons were affected.
According to the NDRRMC, 42,203 people are being provided with food and medicine inside 461 evacuation centers.
The persistent rain that flooded communities damaged a total of 1,993 houses.
The NDRRMC said damage to public and private infrastructure has now reached P3.5 billion while damage to agriculture is pegged at P1.4 billion.
The government continues to assist affected families and has spent P797 million over the past few days.
Ciac springs into action
The Clark International Airport Corp. (Ciac) has extended assistance to families affected by flooding in Pampanga through the turnover of 250 ChariTimba food packs to the Social Action Center of Pampanga, Inc. (Sacop) on Tuesday.
Each ChariTimba package contains essential food items, including rice, canned goods, noodles, coffee, and other ready-to-eat provisions.
The assistance is being coursed through Sacop, the social service arm of the Archdiocese of San Fernando, Pampanga, which works with communities by providing basic services and humanitarian assistance to poor and marginalized sectors.
Sacop also mobilizes resources and coordinates assistance for communities affected by emergencies and other difficult circumstances.
For Ciac, the initiative forms part of its continuing efforts to extend support to communities within and around the Clark area, particularly during periods when families face immediate and pressing needs brought about by calamities.
‘Through this assistance, Ciac hopes to contribute to the immediate needs of families affected by the flooding and support the ongoing relief efforts of organizations working directly with affected communities,’ the corporation said.
The ChariTimba is a charity food package distributed under the Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
PCSO has distributed ChariTimba food packs to marginalized sectors and communities affected by calamities as part of its social responsibility initiatives.