2 Siblings Dead In Rizal Landslide; Gov’t Work, Classes Suspended Due To Maymay

Two siblings were killed in a rockslide in Rodriguez, Rizal as Tropical Storm Maymay and the enhanced southwest monsoon continued to bring heavy rains across Luzon on Wednesday, Aug. 5.

Police identified the fatalities as Urilyn Sison, 22, and her 20-year-old brother, Jessie.

The siblings were cooking lunch in a hut in Barangay San Rafael when large rocks fell from the mountainside at around 12:20 p.m., killing them on the spot. Their remains were later recovered by responders.

Aside from the casualties, the heavy rains also displaced thousands of residents and prompted widespread class and work suspensions.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 41,979 people had been affected.

Of the total, 5,818 people were temporarily sheltered in 14 evacuation centers in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol Region, Zamboanga Peninsula and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

In La Union and Pangasinan alone, more than 19,000 residents were affected by heavy rains and flooding triggered by the enhanced southwest monsoon, Tropical Depression Luis and Maymay (international name Kujira).

Two houses, meanwhile, were reported partially damaged in the Pangasinan towns of Balungao and Sison.

The NDRRMC has so far extended more than P1.2 million worth of food and non-food assistance to affected families and communities, while local government units have provided an additional P126,806 in aid.

To bolster response efforts, the Philippine Coast Guard deployed response groups to La Union to assist in pre-emptive evacuation operations ahead of the storm’s expected landfall.

Search-and-rescue and medical personnel were also sent to assist the San Fernando City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office in conducting pre-emptive evacuations and hauling tents.

Classes, work suspended

Amid the worsening weather, Malacañang suspended work in government offices and classes at all levels in the National Capital Region and seven provinces beginning 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

Memorandum Circular No. 121, signed by Executive Secretary Ralph Recto by authority of President Marcos, covers Metro Manila, Abra, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Benguet, Pangasinan and Zambales following the recommendation of the NDRRMC.

The Palace urged agencies involved in the delivery of basic and health services, disaster preparedness and response and other vital public services to continue operations to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of essential services.

Local chief executives in other areas may impose localized suspensions based on prevailing weather conditions, while work in private companies was left to the discretion of management.

Following the suspension of work and classes, as well as the lifting of the number coding scheme, traffic buildup was reported in several areas across Metro Manila, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

Earlier in the day, several Metro Manila local government units had already suspended face-to-face classes as PAGASA raised a yellow rainfall warning.

Quezon City suspended afternoon face-to-face classes in public schools from Child Development Centers to Grade 12, with alternative learning modes to be implemented. Private schools and higher education institutions were allowed to decide on their own class suspensions.

Mandaluyong shifted pre-school to Grade 12 classes in both public and private schools to alternative learning modes, while Valenzuela, Caloocan, Marikina, Navotas, Malabon, Parañaque, Manila, Taguig, Pasay, Makati, Las Piñas, San Juan and Muntinlupa also suspended in-person afternoon classes or shifted to asynchronous or alternative learning.

Several courts in La Union and Abra suspended operations on Wednesday due to the inclement weather brought by Maymay and other weather systems.

According to advisories issued by the Supreme Court’s Office of the Court Administrator, suspended courts in La Union include all first- and second-level courts in Agoo, Bauang and San Fernando City; the municipal trial courts of Aringay, Rosario, Sto. Tomas, Caba, Naguilian, Bacnotan, Balaoan, Bangar, Luna, Santol and Sudipen; the municipal circuit trial courts of Tubao-Pugo, Bagulin-Burgos and San Juan-San Gabriel and Regional Trial Court Branch 34.

In Abra, work was suspended at the RTC Office of the Clerk of Court, RTC Branches 1, 2 and 1-Family Court, the maintenance and mediation units, the Municipal Trial Court of Bangued and the Municipal Circuit Trial Courts of Pidigan-San Quintin-Langiden and Bangui-Pagudpud-Adams-Dumalneg.

Despite the suspension, each court was advised to maintain a skeleton workforce to act on urgent requests for bail, orders of release, writs of habeas corpus and similar urgent reliefs.

Maymay intensifies

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Maymay has made landfall in the vicinity of Magsingal, Ilocos Sur and is now traversing Northern Luzon.

In its 5 a.m. advisory today, Aug. 6, PAGASA said the center of Maymay was in the vicinity of San Juan, Ilocos Sur with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 110 kph.

Still under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 are these areas in Luzon: Ilocos Norte, the northern and central portions of Ilocos Sur (Gregorio del Pilar, Magsingal, San Esteban, Banayoyo, Cervantes, Burgos, City of Candon, Santa Lucia, Santiago, San Vicente, Santa Catalina, Lidlidda, Nagbukel, Sinait, Suyo, Sigay, San Ildefonso, Galimuyod, Quirino, City of Vigan, San Emilio, Cabugao, Caoayan, San Juan, Santa, Bantay, Santo Domingo, Tagudin, Santa Cruz, Santa Maria, Narvacan, Salcedo), the western portion of Apayao (Conner, Kabugao, Calanasan), Abra, the western portion of Kalinga (Pasil, Tinglayan, Balbalan, Lubuagan), and the western portion of Mountain Province (Besao, Tadian, Bauko, Sagada, Sabangan, Bontoc, Sadanga).

Signal No. is hoisted over: the rest of Ilocos Sur, La Union, the northern portion of Pangasinan (Bolinao, Anda, Bani), the rest of Apayao, the rest of Kalinga, the rest of Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, the southern portion of Babuyan Islands (Calayan, Dalupiri, Fuga and Camiguin islands) Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, and the northern and central portions of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dipaculao) in Luzon.

Heavy rains and strong winds are expected due to Maymay and the southwest monsoon.

A gale warning is in effect over the western seaboard of Northern Luzon.

“On the latest forecast track, Maymay will traverse the mountainous terrain of Northern and Central Luzon before emerging over the eastern coastal waters of Isabela or Cagayan,” PAGASA said, adding Maymay is forecast to continue weakening while moving further inland.

“It will weaken into a tropical depression likely this morning and may be downgraded into a remnant low this afternoon or evening. However, due to interaction with the rugged terrain, an earlier weakening is possible. The remnant low of Maymay will move generally southeastward until it merges into the larger circulation of Tropical Cyclone Dolphin,” PAGASA reported. – With Michael Punongbayan, Artemio Dumlao, Evelyn Macairan, Helen Flores, Bella Cariaso, Ghio Ong, Andrew Ronquillo