'Super heavy rains' in Mindanao feared

Mindanao has yet to recover from the destruction left by tropical storm “Sendong” and now comes another potential cyclone, which threatens to bring “super heavy rains” once it moves closer to the landmass in the region.

Weather forecaster Jori Loiz said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) is now closely monitoring the potential cyclone east of Mindanao. He said the low-pressure area (LPA) was estimated 860 kilometers east of General Santos City as of 8 a.m. Monday.

PAGASA will be monitoring the possible intensification of the LPA into a tropical depression within the next 24 to 48 hours, Loiz said.

Once it develops into a tropical cyclone, it will be named “Ambo.”

“The LPA is still slightly far from the landmass, but there are already advance clouds that may bring moderate rains starting Monday afternoon in the eastern and southern part of Mindanao,” Loiz pointed out.

He noted that areas in the eastern and southern part of Mindanao that may experience moderate rains are Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, South Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat.

“But the periphery of the LPA is estimated at 10-20 mm per hour of rainfall, which is considered super heavy. The amount of heavy rains is estimated at 7.5 mm per hour,” Loiz said.

Meanwhile, a wind convergence also adversely affects Eastern Visayas.

The LPA and wind convergence will bring mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms over the Visayas and Mindanao.

It will become cloudy with widespread rains over Eastern and Southern Mindanao, which may trigger flashfloods and landslides.

As this developed, a P2-billion fund has been sought to be allocated for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City, which suffered the severest losses in lives and property during the onslaught of tropical storm “Sendong” last month.

Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (PMP, Cagayan de Oro City) and his brother, Rep. Maximo Rodriguez of Abante Mindanao party-list, called on the House of Representatives to act swiftly in passing House Bill No. 5663, which they jointly filed on Monday, to allocate the fund.

Judging by the destruction brought by the storm, a P2-billion fund will be needed to put the two Mindanao cities back to its feet again, the two solons said.

The Philippine Red Cross, meanwhile, said it will provide 1,000 shelters for families displaced by “Sendong” after it received a five-hectare land donated by Xavier University to the affected families through the PRC.

Last Dec. 29, PRC Chairman Richard J. Gordon and Xavier University Chairman Elpidio Paras led the groundbreaking rites at the Xavier compound in Barangay Lumbia in Cagayan de Oro.

A total of 1,000 shelters will be built by the PRC initially as soon as basic facilities and provision of livelihood is available.

Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Chairman Jejomar C. Binay has directed the National Housing Authority (NHA) to hasten the provision of housing assistance to families affected by Sendong in Cagayan de Oro (CDO), Iligan, and Dumaguete.

The NHA has already allocated P20 million for the implementation of the Cagayan de Oro Resettlement Project Phase II in Barangay Calaanan. Site inspection and evaluation is also being conducted in CDO Resettlement Project Phase III, a 42-hectare property located in Gusa, CDO, and Sitio Culago, Barangay Pagapat also in CDO City as proposed permanent resettlement sites for the Sendong-affected families.

In Iligan City, a 10-hectare LGU-owned property has been identified as a possible housing project that can generate 1,166 homelots.

Pasig City Mayor Roberto Eusebio said a 10-man team from the Pasig City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office or (PDRRMO) left on Monday for Cagayan de Oro to distribute relief goods and medicines to “Sendong” victims. (With reports from Ben R. Rosario, Jenny F. Manongdo, Ellson A. Quismorio, and Francis T. Wakefield)

By ELLALYN B. DE VERA
mb.com.ph

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