PAGASA: River basins to overflow; PHIVOLCS: Mayon lahar likely
Rescue work was suspended and preemptive evacuations began yesterday as Typhoon “Uwan” bore down on the country, days after another typhoon (“Tino”) killed at least 204 people.
“Uwan,” expected to be a super typhoon before making landfall, bears a huge footprint, with a radius that could cover “almost the entire country,” a government meteorologist said.
“Apart from the strong winds, we can also expect heavy rains … 200 millimeters (eight inches) or higher rainfall, which can cause widespread flooding, not just in low-lying areas,” PAGASA meteorologist Benison Estareja told a press briefing Saturday.
“It’s also possible that our major river basins will overflow.”
There is also a risk of lahar or volcanic mudflow from Mayon Volcano, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assured the public all concerned government agencies are on full alert as “Uwan” intensifies.
Mr. Marcos urged the public to remain calm but stay vigilant, emphasizing the importance of preparedness to minimize the potential adverse effects of the typhoon.
“All government agencies are on full alert and have taken immediate action to ensure the safety of our fellow citizens,” the President said.
“Follow the advisories of your LGU and evacuate immediately if you live in a dangerous area. Prepare your essential needs and stay tuned to official announcements,” he added, noting that complacency has no room as “every second counts.”
“Uwan” continued to rapidly intensify as it moved closer toward the Philippine Sea east of Bicol Region, PAGASA said in its 5 p.m. bulletin yesterday.
The potential super typhoon was moving west-northwestward at 30 kilometers per hour with maximum sustained winds of 150 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 185 kph.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 3 is hoisted over Catanduanes; the eastern portion of Camarines Sur (Siruma, Tinambac, Goa, Lagonoy, Caramoan, Tigaon, Garchitorena, Sagñay, San Jose and Presentacion); the eastern portion of Albay (Tiwi, Santo Domingo, Malinao, Rapu-Rapu, City of Tabaco, Bacacay and Malilipot), the northeastern portion of Sorsogon (Prieto Diaz); and the northeastern portion of Northern Samar (Palapag, Mapanas and Laoang).
The eastern portion of mainland Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Rizal, Laguna, Quezon, Marinduque, Camarines Norte, the rest of Camarines Sur, the rest of Albay, the rest of Sorsogon, Burias Island and Ticao Island are now under Signal No. 2.
In the Visayas, Signal No. 2 was hoisted over the rest of Northern Samar; the northern and central portions of Samar (Matuguinao, San Jose de Buan, Calbayog City, Tagapul-An, Santo Niño, Almagro, San Jorge, San Sebastian, Jiabong, Pagsanghan, City of Catbalogan, Gandara, Motiong, Santa Margarita, Tarangnan, Paranas and Hinabangan); and the northern and central portions of Eastern Samar (Maslog, San Policarpo, Dolores, Jipapad, Oras, Arteche, Can-Avid, City of Borongan, Taft, Sulat, San Julian and Maydolong). With AFP
The city government of Manila on Saturday also raised to red alert status the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMO).
In coastal Aurora province, where “Uwan” is expected to make landfall by late Sunday or early Monday morning, rescuers were going door to door encouraging residents to head for higher ground.
“We are preemptively evacuating people in areas that may be high-risk for flooding,” provincial rescuer Elson Egargue told Agence France Presse by phone.
Farther south, on Catanduanes, a small island the state weather service said could take a “direct hit,” residents were tying down their houses and putting weights on their roofs.
“They decided to do our tradition of strapping down the roofs with big ropes and anchoring them on the ground, so they won’t be blown away by the wind,” provincial rescue official Roberto Monterola said.
Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, in coordination with the Tingog Party-list, ordered the prepositioning of relief goods for his district, province, and other parts of Eastern Visayas.
Tingog Rep. Jude Acidre, among the prepositioned items are 400 sacks of 25-kilo rice; 80 boxes each of coffee, noodles, and canned goods; 50 boxes of Energen cereal drink; and 50 boxes of assorted biscuits—ready for swift distribution to affected families once “Uwan” makes landfall.
Earlier this week, Typhoon “Tino” sent floodwaters rushing through the towns and cities of Cebu province, sweeping away cars, riverside shanties and massive shipping containers.
The typhoon, the deadliest of 2025 according to disaster database EM-DAT, killed at least 204 people and left 109 missing, according to the latest government figures.
On Saturday, rescue official Myrra Daven told Agence France Presse the approaching storm had forced the suspension of search and rescue activities in the province, home to nearly 70 percent of Tino’ deaths.
“We were ordered to temporarily stop the search, rescue and retrieval at 3 p.m. (Saturday),” she said.
“We cannot risk the safety of our rescuers. We don’t want them to be the next casualties.”
The government tally of 57 missing in the hard-hit province, meanwhile, would likely rise, Daven said.
“We’re expecting this number to increase, because there are still areas we cannot penetrate. Some access routes are still blocked by soil and other things,” she said.
Farther north, provincial officials in Uwan’s path are focused on preventing similar loss of life.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government yesterday urged local chief executives to postpone any foreign trips “until the situation stabilizes.”
“The directive follows President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s declaration of a state of national calamity and underscores the duty of governors, mayors, and barangay captains, as chairpersons of their respective Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils, to remain in their areas during emergencies,” said the DILG. The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) frontline offices also went on full alert and ready to release augmentation support to any local government unit that will be
