Ineng batters north Luzon provinces

6 dead in Cordillera landslides; 22 roads closed, thousands affected

Habagat-induced torrential rains and strong winds triggered by typhoon “Ineng” (international name Goni) battered Northern Luzon starting Thursday flooding areas and affecting thousands even as six persons were confirmed killed in landslides in Cordillera provinces of Benguet and Mountain Province.

The Cordillera will experience intermittent moderate to heavy rains with strong winds today, weather forecasters said.

 Since Thursday, total amount of rainfall in Baguio City was recorded at 503.5mm. 

A report from the Cordillera Office of Civil Defense under regional director Alex Uy who is also regional Disaster chairperson said the region experienced power failure in some areas, but power is now restored in capital towns.

Uy said the provinces of Abra, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Apayao and Baguio City were placed on red alert status while Benguet and Kalinga were placed on blue.

Uy, regional Disaster chairman urged local disaster councils to ask residents to take precautionary measures as rains battered the region starting Thursday.

Cellphone signals are now operational regionwide.

Some 22 national roads were still closed to traffic as of Saturday with clearing operations  ongoing.

Six persons were killed in landslides with casualties were validated by Cordillera Dept. of Heath.

In Benguet, Erwin Celo, 26 and his brother Markin, 21died in a landslide Thursday around 4:30 a.m. while seeking  shelter in Takayan, Gambang, Bakun, Benguet. 

At around 12 noon also Thursday, while at his farm, Michael “Guingaban” Felix, 58 of Naptet, Bangao, Buguias,

Benguet died   when he was covered by landslide.

At around 5 p.m., Augist 21, a small scale miner resident of GewengCabiten,  Mankayan, Benguet named Glen

Poloc Baldasan, 27, was found dead due to a  landslide while on his way home. 

On Aug.  22, at  12:30 a.m.Michael Martin Lagasan, 59 from Comillas North Cervantes, Ilocos Sur died inside his vehicle when it was trapped under a  landslide and falling debris along Palatong,MankayanBenguet.

 A two storey concrete residential house with automotive Shop located along Halsema  Highway in Bekes, Buguias, Benguet was totally covered and damaged by landslide. 

In Baguio City 75% of power was restored Friday. A day earlier, 98 percent of the city was without electricity. There were three landslides, one rockslide, 36 fallen trees, two blown roofs for a total to 49 incidents.

Rains persisted for about 27 hours and left Burnham Park inundated.

Strong winds also uprooted trees in the city. A taxi and a truck were pinned down by uprooted trees. Drivers and passengers of the vehicles were injured.

Authorities have closed down Kennon Road due to landslides. Motorists were advised to take Marcos highway instead.

 In Mountain Province, a landslide was reported in  SitioTala,  Namatec, Sabangan involving mother and her two sons. The incident took place at around 4 a.m. when mud seeped in burying the victims. LykherMayon, 9, had head injuries while Ycher Mayon was confirmed dead.

Bontoc road was closed indefinitely until repairs until repairs shall be done as soon as rains stop pouring according to Kapon Gomgom-o from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.

No buses travelled the Halsema highway as of August 21 when typhoon Ineng hit slopes along the national road from Atok, Benguet to Bontoc, Mountain Province.

Landslides were noted at Pactli and Gonogon section along Baguio-Bontoc road, at Cabunagan and Dawdawa section along the Mt Province-Ilocos Sur Road and at Dantay-Sagada road.

Also the center post of the temporary bridge at NakagangSabangan was carried by heavy rains making the only link to western towns here to central Bontoc unreachable to transport. Meantime, other road lines were closed along the Mt. Province-Cagayan visTabukEnrile road and Macotiti section St., Sadanga Mt. Province.

The Banaue-Bontoc Road remains to be open for motorists going to Baguio or Manila as of August 21.

In Abra, Five persons were people trapped in an island along Abra river ( Bucay area).
Swelling of Abra River may cause flood to low lying areas. Evacuations are ongoing in critical areas.

In Kalinga, swelling of Chico River was observed. Tabuk City DRRMC with assistance army men rescued trapped

people in a flashfloods and evacuated families living near the Chico River particularly from barangay BadoDangwa, Carabitan, Lanna and Tulyao in Tabuk City. The families were brought to various evacuation centers within the city.

Two trapped individuals along the Chico River identified as EdmundoFatig and Jailax Bruno, residents of SitioTuliao, Calanan, Tabuk were rescued. SixtoCablay, 59  and Chary Palope, were also rescued around  12 noon of the same day.

Disaster group also rescued 15 individuals trapped in Laya West at around 4:50 p.m.  identified as Jerome Malaga, Peter Mendoza, Moises Durucan, Alex Lazaro, Dangtan Tingle  , Rogelio Adnea, Christian Apalla, Eric Mundo, Jojie Mundo, Ronvan Wansi, BricksonApalya   Wendell Legado, Eduardo Baruz, Adonis Casubag,  Ejay Anton and Noel Hermeno.

In Ifugao, all major roads are now open with few exceptions in some barangays and municipal roads.

On Thursday, signal no. 3 was raised over Batanes Group of Islands and Northern Cagayan, including Babuyan and Calayan Group of Islands, while signal No. 2 was hoisted over the rest of Cagayan, northern Isabela, Apayao and Ilocos Norte.

A Pagasa report said under signal No. 1 were the rest of Isabela, northern Aurora, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Benguet, La Union and Ilocos Sur.

Rains associated with the southwest monsoon   enhanced by Ineng   reached Metro Manila, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Bicol region and Western Visayas Thursday.

Pagasa weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio, at press time, said moderate to heavy rains would persist over extreme northern Luzon until weekend.

The rest of Northern and Central Luzon, particularly Ilocos region, La Union, Bataan and Zambales, would experience moderate to heavy rains due to Ineng.

 In Baguio City, Mayor Mauricio Domogan on Wednesday activated the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council disaster operations center under action officer city administrator Carlos Canilao to facilitate coordination and dissemination of advisories.

Kennon Road was being cleared of debris and fallen rocks and trees at press time even as residents in flood prone areas were urged to evacuate.

Typhoon Ineng was packing maximum sustained winds of 170 kilometers per hour near the center with gusts of 205 kph as of Friday.

According to state weather bureau PAGASA, Typhoon Ineng was stationary Friday night before it will change direction and head to the southern islands of Japan.

The Batanes group of islands and northern Cagayan, including Babuyan group of islands and Calayan group of islands, remained under signal number 3.

Public storm signal number 2 was up over the rest of Cagayan, northern Isabela, Kalinga, Apayao, Abra and Ilocos Norte. The rest of Isabela, Ifugao, Mt. Province, Benguet, La Union and Ilocos Sur were under signal number 1.

The typhoon continued to intensify monsoon rains (habagat) in Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon and western Visayas.

Typhoon Ineng is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility by Monday noon wherein it is expected to be 725 kilometers northeast of BascoBatanes which is outside the Philippine area of responsibility.   With reports from Jerry Padilla, Aileen P. Refuerzo, Gina Dizon and Liam Anacleto