At least 3 dead, several missing, thousands displaced
Typhoon "Ulysses" (international name "Vamco") left a massive trail of destruction in many areas in Luzon, including Metro Manila, Thursday as it headed out to the West Philippine Sea.
(Photo by Handout / Office of Philippine Senator Bong Go / AFP / MANILA BULETIN)
Two people were killed while four others went missing after typhoon "Ulysses" unleashed heavy rains and destructive winds in Bicol Region, an initial report from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) disclosed Thursday.
Claudio Yucot, regional director of OCD-Bicol, identified the fatalities as Avelino Cabanela, 68, and Salva Mangubat, 70, both of Camarines Norte.
Mangubat reportedly slipped and fell head first on the ground from his house in Purok 1, Brgy. Gabon in Talisay town at the height of the typhoon. Cabanela was reported to have been found dead on the roof of his house in Purok 1, Brgy. Bagasbas in Daet town.
Another fatality was reported in Atok, Benguet, a farmer who died after bamboo trees struck his shanty due to strong winds.
Four persons were reported missing during the onslaught of “Ulysses” in Camarines Norte.
They were identified as Noel Macayo, of Barangay 2 in Mercedes town; and Jessy Boy Alvarez, 33, Roland Alvarez, 48, and Bobby Roderick Masaya, 19, all residents of Brgy. Pinagtigasan in Vinzons town.
Eight persons in Camarines Norte suffered from various injuries due to typhoon Ulysses, according to Yucot.
Most of them suffered cuts and bruises after being hit by flying debris or fallen trees.
They were identified as Glenn Isaac, 39, Lorna Aguilar, 32, of Mercedes town; Samson Salgado, 54, Marvin Rojas, 31, of Basud town; Rommel Madi, 45, Hilario Vibal, 45, Pio Paracale, 34, of Daet town; and Olive Paul Dichoso, 11, of Vinzons town.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) estimated the location of Ulysses at 140 km west of Iba, Zambales, at around 1 p.m.
It maintained its maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 160 kph but a slight intensification is likely while it is over the West Philippine Sea.
"Ulysses" made three landfalls before traversing Central Luzon.
Its first landfall was in the vicinity of Patnanungan, Quezon, at 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, then went on to its second landfall over Burdeos, Quezon, at 11:20 p.m., then on to its third and final one in General Nakar, Quezon, at 1:40 a.m. on Thursday.
As "Ulysses" is now over the coastal waters, PAGASA lowered the tropical cyclone wind signals raised in several areas in Luzon.
All storm warnings in Visayas have also been lowered.
Wind Signal No. 2 remains hoisted over the western portion of Pangasinan (Bayambang, Bautista, Alcala, Santo Tomas, Malasiqui, Santa Barbara, Mangaldan, Dagupan City, Basista, San Carlos City, Calasiao, Binmaley, Urbiztondo, Mangatarem, Aguilar, Bugallon, Lingayen, Labrador, Infanta, Mabini, Sual, Dasol, Burgos, Alaminos City, Agno, Bani, Bolinao, Anda), Zambales, Bataan, Tarlac, Pampanga, southwestern portion of Bulacan (Baliuag, Bustos, San Jose del Monte City, Santa Maria, Marilao, Pandi, Meycauayan City, Bocaue, Balagtas, Plaridel, Obando, Bulacan, Guiguinto, Malolos City, Pulilan, Calumpit, Paombong, Hagonoy), Metro Manila, Cavite, southwestern portion of Batangas (Talisay, San Nicolas, Laurel, Agoncillo, Taal, Santa Teresita, San Luis, Bauan, Mabini, Alitagtag, Lemery, Calaca, Balayan, Tuy, Nasugbu, Lian, Calatagan, Tingloy), and northwestern portion of Occidental Mindoro (Paluan, Abra de Ilog) including Lubang Island.
Signal No. 1 is still raised in the southern portion of Ilocos Sur (Magsingal, Santo Domingo, San Ildefonso, San Vicente, Bantay, Santa Catalina, Vigan City, Caoayan, Santa, Narvacan, Nagbukel, Santa Maria, Burgos, San Esteban, San Emilio, Quirino, Cervantes, Alilem, Sugpon, Suyo, Sigay, Gregorio Del Pilar, Salcedo, Santa Cruz, Tagudin, Santa Lucia, Galimuyod, Candon City, Banayoyo, Santiago, Lidlidda), La Union, the rest of Pangasinan, southwestern portion of Abra (Tubo, Luba, Villaviciosa, Pilar, Manabo, San Isidro, Bangued, Pidigan, Langiden, San Quintin), western portion of Mountain Province (Bontoc, Sadanga, Sagada, Sabangan, Bauko, Tadian, Besao), western portion of Ifugao (Lagawe, Banaue, Hingyon, Hungduan, Tinoc, Asipulo, Lamut, Kiangan), Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, southern portion of Aurora (Maria Aurora, Baler, San Luis, Dingalan), Nueva Ecija, the rest of Bulacan, northern and western portions of Quezon (Lucena City, Pagbilao, Sariaya, Candelaria, Tiaong, San Antonio, Dolores, Tayabas City, Lucban, Mauban, Sampaloc, Real, General Nakar, Infanta), Rizal, Laguna, the rest of Batangas, northwestern portion of Oriental Mindoro (Puerto Galera, San Teodoro, Baco, Calapan City, Naujan), and the rest of northern portion of Occidental Mindoro (Santa Cruz, Mamburao).
Typhoon Ulysses may exit the Philippine area of responsibility by Friday morning.
Major flooding
“Ulysses,” the third typhoon to hit the country caused major flooding in Manila on Thursday, trapping people on rooftops.
Heavy rain effectively shut down Manila, the sprawling capital of 12 million people, and surrounding areas.
''A lot of places are submerged. Many people are crying for help,'' said Rouel Santos, 53, a retired disaster officer in Rizal province, next to the capital.
Santos said the flooding caused by “Ulysses” brought back memories of the devastating Typhoon Ketsana, known as Tropical Storm “Ondoy,” that hit in 2009 and claimed hundreds of lives.
An official from the country's Office of Civil Defense said rainfall dumped by “Ulysses” so far was ''near the volume'' during Ondoy, warning flooding could worsen as runoff from nearby mountains flowed into already swollen waterways.
Philippine Red Cross personnel used boats to rescue people stranded in their homes in Marikina City, one of the hardest-hit areas of the capital, where the water in some streets was up to shoulder height.
Photos shared on Twitter by Red Cross chief Richard Gordon showed people being lowered through a hole in a roof while others were helped to climb over a balcony railing into a boat.
''The magnitude of what we're experiencing now is comparable to Ondoy,'' Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro told CNN Philippines.
''We have so many people who until now are stranded on their rooftops or trapped on the second floor of their houses. Some areas that were historically not flooded, such as the City Hall, are submerged.''
Requests for help were ''pouring in'' said Casiano Monilla, Civil Defense deputy administrator for operations.
He said many people had not heeded warnings to evacuate ahead of the typhoon, urging them to do so ''while there's still time.''
''I didn't expect it to be like this,'' said Rosalinda Opsima, who fled her home with her husband after the fastrising water caught them by surprise.
Schools, which have been empty since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March, are being used as emergency shelters along with gymnasiums.
The weather service has warned of life-threatening storm surges along parts of the coast, including in Manila that could inundate low-lying areas.
Impassable roads
Several road sections in Central Luzon were rendered impassable by typhoon "Ulysses" Thursday.
Initial road assessment by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) showed that some sections of national roads are not passable as of 10 a.m.
Three sections of the Manila North Road were also closed.
The Banga Section was not passable to light vehicles due to .40-meter deep flood; Saluysoy Section in Meycauayan, Bulacan was also not passable to light vehicles due to .30-meter deep flood; and Ibayo Section (SM Marilao) in Marilao, Bulacan was impassable to light and medium vehicles due to .50-meter flood.
The Salacot Section of the Daang Maharlika Road in San Miguel, Bulacan and the San Ildefonso Section in San Ildefonso, Bulacan were rendered impassable to all types of vehicles due to .20-meter deep flood and fallen electrical posts, respectively.
The road's Maasim Section in San Ildefonso was also closed to light vehicles due to .30-meter deep flood.
Camias Section of the San Miguel-Sibul Road in San Miguel was not passable to light and medium vehicles due to .80-meter deep flood.
Partida Section of the Sta. Maria-Norzagaray Road at the Norzagaray-Sta.Maria boundary will remain impassable until the fallen camachile tree in the area is cleared, the department said.
The Gen. Alejo Santos Highway in Angat, Bulacan also became impassable to heavy and large vehicles due to a fallen tree.
The Sta. Rita-Camias Old Road in San Miguel was not passable to light vehicles due to .50-meter deep flood.
A .30-meter deep flood also caused the closure of the Camalig Section of the Meycauyan-Camalig Road, a section of the Sta. Maria Bypass Road in Sta. Maria, Bulacan, and the Bagbaguin Section of Bocaue-San Jose Road in Sta. Maria.
All three road sections were not passable to light vehicles.
According to the DPWH, roving maintenance personnel and crew have been deployed to undertake initial response and monitoring of the affected road networks.
As of 11 a.m., a section of the Olangapo-Bugallon Road was flooded due to overflowing NIA waterway.
Sandbagging of the flooded portion was done, the agency said.
‘No one will be left behind during 'Ulysses'
President Duterte assured the public that the government is on top of the situation and that all government agencies and local government units have been tasked to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of the people.
In his public address Thursday afternoon, the President assured the public that the government is doing everything it can to help everyone affected by the onslaught of “Ulysses.”
"I guarantee you that your government will do its best to provide assistance in the form of shelters, relief goods, financial aid, and post-disaster counseling," Duterte said.
"Rest assured that the government will not leave anybody behind. We will get through this crisis, I assure you, as one nation. Mga kababayan, magbayanihan po tayong lahat (Let us help each other)," he added.
He added that that the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine Navy, and the Philippine Air Force have new assets they can use to help and give the said assistance to those in need.
According to presidential spokesman Harry Roque, concerned departments and agencies of the Executive branch were working to provide relief, rescue, and assistance to those affected by Ulysses.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has mobilized more than 25,000 of its personnel in Luzon to assist in the conduct of rescue and relief operations for those affected by typhoon “Ulysses.”
PNP spokesman Col. Ysmael Yu said that a total of 5,660 policemen were deployed for disaster response operations of distressed persons in affected areas while more than 20,000 others earlier placed on standby were already sent out.
Yu said more than 800 people have already been rescued in various parts of the country.
PCG personnel were deployed in various areas such as Cavite, Manila, Marikina City, Montalban, and Rodriguez in Rizal to aid local government units in their rescue and relief operations.
The DSWD Central Office (CO), Field Offices (FOs), and the National Resource Operations Center (NROC) have more than ₱800 million worth of stockpiles and standby funds.
Standby funds of more than ₱226 million with more than ₱184 million are available for the Quick Response Fund in the CO.
To ensure the safety of passengers, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has suspended all flight operations at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
The Department of Transportation (DOTr), through the PCG, likewise declared a "No Sail Policy" in 24 provinces for all types of vessels.
Some 40 ports have suspended operations.
The EDSA Busway operations and railway operations of MRT-3, LRT-1, LRT-2, and the Philippine National Railways were suspended Thursday.
More than 300,000 people in evacuation centers
More than 300,000 people are currently staying in various evacuation centers in Luzon and Eastern Visayas due to the onslaught of three strong weather disturbances in just a span of a few weeks.
The number of evacuees is expected to swell as more people from Rizal, Bulacan, Laguna, and some parts of Marikina were damaged by massive flooding starting Wednesday night.
Most of the evacuees are from the Bicol region.
They are staying in 2,800 evacuation centers mostly in Catanduanes, Albay, and Camarines as a result of the devastation wrought by typhoon Rolly, a report from the PNP disclosed on Thursday.
Not negligent
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Thursday that it has not been negligent in issuing timely and adequate warnings and advisories related to the strength of typhoon "Ulysses" even if many residents in Metro Manila and nearby provinces seemed to be caught by surprise with the sudden flooding in their areas.
NDRRMC chairman and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the damage has been "huge."
" huge damage. totally flooded villages and lowlying areas were flooded," Lorenzana said when asked to describe the extent of Ulysses' effects.
Lorenzana said he has briefed President Duterte about the deployment of troops to save some residents in Marikina who were asking to be rescued due to the overflow of the Marikina River.
"I just came from the Palace. I briefed him what our troops are doing in Marikina to save people from their rooftops," he said.
Dam water discharges
Angat Dam released water from its reservoir Thursday with residents in low-lying areas of Bulacan warned to take precautionary measures due to possible flooding.
PAGASA hydrologist Richard Orendain said the National Power Corp. has advised that it will be opening one of Angat Dam's gates with an opening of 0.5 meters and outflow of 60 cubic meters per second at 1 p.m.
This was after the water level of Angat Dam considerably increased by almost six meters to 211.30 meters Thursday morning.
The dam's normal high water level is 210 meters.
Downstream of the Angat Dam is the Ipo Dam, which has also reached its spilling level of 101 meters.
Currently Ipo Dam's water level is 101.2 meters. Orendain said Ipo Dam's four spillway gates is releasing 587.4 cubic meters per second of water.
Areas near the Angat River that may be affected by the release of water from the Angat and Ipo reservoirs are Norzagaray, Angat, San Rafael, Bustos, Baliuag, Pulilan, Plaridel, and Hagonoy in Bulacan.
Water from the La Mesa Dam in Quezon City has also reached its overflow level of 80.15 meters.
Areas affected were Fairview, Forest Hill, Quirino Highway, Capri, Goodwill Homes, Sta. Quiteria and San Bartolome in Quezon City; Ligon, North Expressway, and Huerta in Valenzuela City; and Malabon City.
Ambuklao and Binga Dams in Benguet also recorded higher water levels at 751.8 meters and 572.05 meters and are currently releasing water from their reservoirs.
Ambuklao Dam has eight of its gates open at four meters each, with an outflow of 557.38 cubic meters per second.
The outflow of Ambuklao goes to downstream Binga Dam, which has six spillway gates, each opened at four meters. It has an outflow of 494.71 cubic meters per second. Orendain said Barangays Dalupirit and Tinongdan in Itogon, Benguet may be affected by Binga Dam's spilling operations.
Some of the outflow from Binga Dam goes down to San Roque Dam in Pangasinan, which is still below its normal high water level.
Magat Dam in Isabela also continues to release water as its water level is at 190.10 meters.
Two gates are open at four meters high each with a total outflow of 989 cubic meters per second.
Due to the release of water from Magat Dam, residents of Ramon, San Mateo, Aurora, Cabatuan, Luna, Reina, Mercedes, Burgos, Naguilian, and Gamu in Isabela were asked to stay vigilant against possible flooding.