TWO areas were placed under Signal No. 2 yesterday and 16 others under Signal No. 1 as typhoon “Betty” continued to slow down and weaken.
As of 4 p.m. yesterday, Betty was some 445 km east of Calayan, Cagayan, packing maximum winds of 155 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 190 kph. It was moving north northeastward at 10 kph, from 15 kph as of as 10 a.m. yesterday, and 20 kph as of 4 a.m. yesterday.
Placed by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) under Signal No. 2 were Batanes and the northeastern portion of Cagayan, including Babuyan Islands.
Under Signal No. 1 were the rest of mainland Cagayan, Isabela, Apayao, Ilocos Norte, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, northern and central portions of Aurora, Quirino, northeastern portion of Nueva Vizcaya, northern portion of Catanduanes, northeastern portion of Camarines Sur, Polillo Islands, northern portion of Camarines Norte, and the northern and central portions of Ilocos Sur.
“On the track forecast, Betty will move generally northwestward slowly today (Monday) and may become slow-moving or almost stationary from tomorrow (Tuesday) to Wednesday while over the waters east of Batanes,” PAGASA said in a bulletin issued at 5 p.m. yesterday.
Betty is forecast to turn north northeastward or northeastward late Wednesday or on Thursday, and “gradually accelerate” towards east of Taiwan and southern portion Ryukyu Islands.
PAGASA said Betty, which is still not expected to make landfall in any part of the country, is also forecast to exit the Philippine area of responsibility on Friday.
“This typhoon is forecast to steadily weaken over the next five days due to cooler ocean waters (caused by upwelling of cooler waters in its wake) and dry air intrusion,” PAGASA said.
It said may weaken into a severe tropical storm on Thursday or Friday. It is projected to further weaken into a tropical storm on Saturday.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, in a situational report, said 1,170 families or 4,552 individuals form Negros Occidental, Antique, and Apayao have evacuated due to Betty.
Office of Civil Defense-Joint Monitoring Center chief Diego Mariano on Sunday reported more than 1,200 families evacuated in Negros Occidental, Antique, Capiz and Pampanga.
Ruelie Rapsing, chief of Cagayan provincial disaster risk reduction and management office, said 800 residents of Sta. Ana and Gonzaga towns have been evacuated and they will remain in evacuation centers until Betty leaves.
Rapsing also said responders remained prepositioned.
Batanes provincial administrator Justine Socito said the province experienced cloudy skies yesterday morning with no winds and rains.
The Department of Agriculture said farmers were forced to harvest rice and corn earlier, worth P5.55 billion, to prevent damage from Betty.
It said farmers saved 64,735 hectares (ha) of rice equivalent to 287,826 metric tons (MT) worth P4.84 billion from five regions expected to be affected by Betty – Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Bicol.
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said 800,000 family food packs have been prepositioned. Of the total, 80,000 packs were dispatched to Cagayan Valley, 50,000 to Ilocos region, and more than 40,000 to Central Luzon.
Members of the DSWD Quick Response Teams are also on standby for on-the-ground monitoring of updates and coordination with LGUs. — With Jed Macapagal and Raymond Africa
