
The low pressure area (LPA) east of southeastern Mindanao entered the country’s area of responsibility on Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 15, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
PAGASA estimated the LPA’s location 925 kilometers east of southeastern Mindanao around 3 p.m.
Although the weather disturbance has a low chance of developing into a tropical depression, Palawan, Visayas, and Mindanao may experience cloudy weather with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to the continuous effect of the trough or extension of the LPA.
Cloudy and rainy weather may also persist in the Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Norte, Aurora, Quezon, and Bicol Region because of the northeast monsoon or “amihan.”
PAGASA warned those in areas affected by the LPA and amihan to remain alert due to the threat of flooding or landslides caused by light to occasional heavy rains.
Meanwhile, PAGASA said the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy weather with light amihan rains.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it is prepared for the possible effects of the trough of LPA.
Based on the Feb. 14 report of the Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center, DSWD has at least P2.2 billion worth of standby funds and stockpiles ready to be tapped by local government units for their disaster response operations.
Of the total standby funds, P823 million worth of standby funds are in the Central Office and DSWD field offices, including 643,947 family food packs worth P439 million and other food and non-food items worth P972 million that are prepositioned in various parts of the country.