The enhanced southwest monsoon or “habagat” is projected to bring a significant amount of rain in the next three days, keeping still-flooded areas across the country under water, the state weather bureau said Saturday.
In its 5 p.m. advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the Ilocos Region, Zambales, Bataan, and Occidental Mindoro provinces can expect rainfall of up to 200 millimeters until Monday, September 4.
Metro Manila, Abra, Benguet, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, Batangas, Antique, and northern Palawan including the Cuyo and Calamian Islands could see rainfall of up to 100 mm every day over the weekend, PAGASA’s Weather Advisory 18 added.
This developed as the estimated damage to infrastructure in four regions reached P442.34 million, due to the enhanced habvagat and the effects of Typhoon Goring.
The Department of Public Works and Highways said in a news release Saturday that of the total damage in the Cordillera, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley and Mimaropa regions, P146.28 million was damage to roads, P14.68 million to bridges and P281.38 million to flood-control structures.
The DPWH Bureau of Maintenance said as of 10 a.m. Saturday, four roads in the Cordillera region and three roads in the Ilocos region remain impassable due to pavement sinking, roadcut, landslides, and scoured bridge abutment.
A total of 26 roads reopened but the DPWH is clearing the following sections that are closed to all types of vehicles: Abra-Ilocos Norte Road, San Gregorio, La Paz, Abra (due to pavement sinking); Kennon Road, Camp One, Tuba, Benguet (as a precautionary measure); Claveria-Calanasan-Kabugao Road, sections in Barangay Namaltugan and Barangay Ninoy, Calanasan, Apayao (due to roadcut and collapsed pavement); Dantay Sagada Road, Barangay Antadao, Sagada, Mt. Province (due to roadcut and collapsed pavement); Ilocos Norte-Apayao Road, Barangay Maananteng, Solsona, Ilocos Norte (due to landslides); Roxas Bridge, Vigan-San Vicente Road in Ilocos Sur (due to scoured bridge abutment); and Pangasinan-Nueva Vizcaya Road, Barangay Malico, San Nicolas, Pangasinan (due to soil collapse).
In Batanes, officials said the province has yet to fully assess the damage caused by Typhoon Goring but it is already feeling the effects of Typhoon Hanna (international name Haikui) on Saturday.
Batanes Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head Roldan Esdicul, in an interview said: “We felt the impact of Typhoon Goring because it was close to us so we felt its effects even in the wee hours of the morning. Now here is Typhoon Hana but mostly its effect is on the waters; there are strong waves.”
The official said the power service in the municipality of Itbayat has been affected since fuel could not be delivered to the island due to strong waves caused by Hanna.
Esdicul said provincial authorities are hoping the weather would turn for the better so fuel could be delivered to the island.
Communication is currently limited to call and text, while internet data service is currently down the official said, adding that relief goods have already been prepositioned in municipalities.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) meanwhile bared plans to improve daily weather forecasts through artificial intelligence (AI).
Assistant Secretary Napoleon Juanillo said the agency has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the US-based Atmo, a company specializing in AI-guided weather forecasting.
Juanillo, quoted by reports, said “They have cutting edges that can help with our climate change challenges. That’s a benefit to us, especially to farmers, as AI climate forecasting is more accurate and granular, and the predictability and accuracy of the data are more useful for farmers and fishermen.”