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'Ester' heads for Japan; rains still loom over RP
Tropical depression "Ester" changed course and started to move toward southern Japan Sunday morning, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Sunday. But Ester will still enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rains over Luzon and the Visayas, even as four areas remained under Storm Signal No. 1, PAGASA siad. "Residents living in low-lying and mountainous areas under Signal 1 and areas over the Western sections of Central and southern Luzon and Western Visayas are alerted against possible flashfloods and landslides," it said in its 5 a.m. advisory. Still under Storm Signal No. 1 are Batanes Group of Islands, Cagayan, Babuyan Island, and Calayan Islands. As of 4 a.m. Sunday, PAGASA said Ester was some 90 km northeast of Basco, Batanes with maximum winds of 55 kph near the center and moving north-northeast at 11 kph. By Monday morning it is expected to be 320 km northeast of Basco, Batanes or at 450 km southwest of Okinawa, Japan. On Tuesday morning it is expected to be 590 km northeast of Basco, Batanes or at 190 km southwest of Okinawa, Japan. Meanwhile, PAGASA said strong to gale force winds are expected to affect the western seaboard of Luzon and the Visayas. It reminded fishing boats and small seacraft not to venture out into the sea, and larger vessels to be alert against big waves. New flight cancellation Bad weather conditions caused by Ester forced the cancellation of another flight from Manila to Batanes province Sunday. A report on dzBB radio said SEAIR canceled Flight 605 from Manila to Basco, which was scheduled to leave Manila at 5:45 a.m. On Saturday, bad weather also forced the cancellation of at least two SEAIR flights. Batanes was one of four areas still under Signal No. 1 as of 5 a.m. Sunday. Coast Guard guidelines The Philippine Coast Guard has recommended 14 guidelines in recalling fishermen and their boats during a storm to avoid killer accidents at sea. The PCG presented the recommendations at an inter-agency meeting last week, where possible safety measures were tackled. The recommendations are:
- 1. Empowerment of local government units in the enforcement of maritime safety standards, rules and regulations on municipal fishing bancas either through an executive order or memorandum of agreement; 2. Include basic safety requirements as pre-requisite for registration of fishing bancas; 3. LGUs through the assistance of PCG, to conduct massive registration of all municipal fishing bancas; 4. Conduct of massive Information and Education Campaign on Typhoon Doctrine by PAGASA in coordination with the LGUs and PCG; 5. Conduct of basic navigational and sea safety seminars for fishermen with the assistance of the LGUs and PCG; 6. Establishment of PAGASA weather forecast dissemination and publication down the Barangay or Sitio level, if possible. 7. Require fishermen to have basic life saving equipment such as lifejackets or improvised floating devices; 8. Implement “buddy" system or group fishing with provision for one communications equipment (at least celphone) per group; 9. Dissemination of PCG hot-text number and designation of LGU level hotlines of communications for distress monitoring; 10. Implement log-in and log-out system within barangay or sitio level whenever fishermen depart and arrive from fishing activities specifying therein the location of their fishing area; 11. Training and designation of LGU level safety inspectors to check on the proper maintenance of fishing boats; 12. Organize community-based search and rescue teams within barangay or sitio level. 13. Designation and training of barangay or sitio level sea marshals who shall conduct regular inspection and enforcement functions, as well as in charge of disseminating of PAGASA weather bulletins. Existing Bantay Dagat members may be also be tapped as sea marshals; and 14. Appointment of barangay or sitio sea marshals as members of Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary.
