Even as President Aquino sternly warned concerned officials involved in safety arrangements for meeting Typhoon Chedeng, rains spawned flash floods and a landslide in Mindanao.
That’s the bad news; the good news is that weather forecasters say Chedeng has changed course and may spare the Philippines, after all.
The President on Thursday said that if he gets “surprised” by the bad result of their preparations, he would “surprise” them as well, broadly hinting at disciplinary action against those who do not perform as expected.
Several barangays in Molave, Zamboanga del Sur, and in San Isidro, Davao del Norte, on Thursday suffered from the landslide, while barangays in Cabanglasan, Bukidnon; Sto Tomas, Davao del Norte; Bubong and Buadipuso-Buntong town in Lanao del Sur; and barangays in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, were hit by flash floods.
Based on an initial report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, corn and vegetable plantations of undetermined hectarage were destroyed. “The estimated cost of damage to agriculture is P5.42 million, while on infrastructure it’s P5.5 million.”
In any case, the officials concerned may find themselves lucky because weather forecasters tracking Typhoon Chedeng said it has changed course and may not touch land in the Philippines, although they remain on alert for a possible “Fujiwara Effect,” or a return to land of the typhoon.
Disaster officials said on Thursday that residents, who were preemptively evacuated, will remain in government-run shelters for 12 hours even after the exit on Sunday of Typhoon Chedeng.
Benito Ramos, executive director of the council, said the evacuated families, 13,322 of them, from 152 barangays in Albay or 63,964 persons and 1,491 families, or 8,258 persons, from Molave will remain in shelters for about a day more even after Chedeng has completely veered out of the country.
In Lanao del Sur a steel bridge was wrecked, while five houses were damaged. In Taguig City 46 families, or 230 people, from barangays New Lower Bicutan and Bagumbayan were also evacuated because of heavy rains, and are now housed at the Lower Bicutan Elementary School.
The Philippine National Police said a total of 764 people also remained stranded in four ports in Batangas and Quezon, as well as 3,350 passengers, 44 trucks, 20 cars, 63 passenger buses, 15 vessels and 12 motor bancas in 16 ports in Albay, Sorsogon, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, and Camarines Sur.
Mr. Aquino issued the warning in his statement at the Centennial Terminal before he boarded a commercial flight for Bangkok for an overnight visit.
“Before I say goodbye, I am expecting all those who promised me that we are fully prepared for the coming typhoon—they said they have been prepared for three days—would really deliver on their promises and that I would not be surprised while I am in Thailand. If I get surprised, you would also be surprised when I get back.”
Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a news briefing after the President’s departure that the President would be apprised of developments in the weather conditions while he is away.
