'Juan' gains strength, leaves 10 people dead and 9 injured

Updated 6:30 p.m. — Super typhoon "Juan" (international name: Megi), which strengthened as it stayed put in its location in the South China Sea on Tuesday, has left at least 10 people dead and nine others injured. Benito Ramos, executive officer of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and concurrent Office of Civil Defense administrator said:

four of the fatalities were from Pangasinan province;

three from Isabela, and

one each from Kalinga, Baguio City, and Tuguegarao City. Ramos added that the number of families affected in Regions 1, 2, 3 and Cordillera Administrative Region is 1,589 (or 7,458 people). Malacañang extended its condolences to those who have lost their family members due to the typhoon. "Each life is important. We offer our condolences to those families who lost a family member," presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said at a press briefing.
President Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III said thorough government preparations and swift responses minimized the amount of damages and the number of casualties. "The damage and loss of life could have been much greater had we not prepared for the storm. The actions of the government and the people themselves show what can be accomplished when we all cooperate to anticipate the needs of our people," Aquino said in a statement. The president then called on the public to remain vigilant and prepare for any eventuality until the weather improves. Biggest typhoon Juan has been regarded by the Philippine Red Cross as the "biggest typhoon in the last 20 years" and described it as a "Category 5 Super Typhoon." International reports have said Juan was the strongest tropical cyclone of 2010 so far. Its strength — winds of over 250 kilometers per hour (kph) during its peak before making landfall — had alarmed local government officials who ordered preventive evacuation as early as Sunday, a day before the typhoon reached land. However, raging floods caused by Juan did not stop two families in Lingayen, Pangasinan from staying inside their homes. The Diazes and Sorianos, with 10 family members in all, were hesitant to leave behind the fish pens they were tending to in Barangay Labrador, Lingayen. Selling prawns and milkfish is their main source of income. However, after the nearby Agno River swelled, government rescuers had to force the families out of their homes and into safer ground. The Diazes and Sorianos were only two of more than 1,700 families (almost 8,000 people) reported to have been affected by Juan in northern Luzon, according to an NDRRMC report as of 6:00 a.m. Vegetable crops were damaged in the affected regions and those that survived the typhoon could not yet be transported due to impassable roads. Major roads in Ifugao, Mt. Province, Apayao, Cagayan, and Benguet,including Kennon Road remained impassable to all types of vehicles due either to fallen trees, fallen electric posts, or landlsides. These circumstances have already triggered vegetable prices from the affected areas to skyrocket after Juan's onslaught.

Overall, in the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR), 256 families remained sheltered inside evacuation centers. Two CAR residents were among the 10 persons had been reported dead due to "Juan" while four others from CAR were hurt. Nine persons injured The NDRRMC said at least nine people were injured, including:

Joseph Sabben, 5, Sta. Ana, Cagayan, hit by fallen live wire;

Two women hit by collapsed glass wall in Tuguegarao City;

Two DPWH personnel hit by collapsed LTO wall in Solana, Cagayan;

Joanna Marie Respicio, 1, Rizal, Kalinga;

Abner Riponiar, 29, Baguio City;

Antonio Mendoza Jr., 49, Tabuk, Kalinga, and

Maribeth Lumawig, 29, Pinukpuk, Kalinga.

Sunshine In Cagayan, residents of Sta. Ana town rushed out of their houses when the clouds parted a bit, letting the sun shine for several minutes on Monday, during the height of the typhoon. The residents took the opportunity to clean their yards and rid them of fallen trees and debris. Some even took the time to fix their damaged houses. Around 70 families were affected by the typhoon, and though some have already returned to their houses as of Tuesday noon but many chose to remain at the evacuation centers. Sea travel While most families were safely seeking refuge in evacuation centers, others remained stranded in sea ports. "Gusto na namin malaman kung kailan talaga aalis iyong barko para makauwi na kami sa amin," said one of the stranded passengers of Negros Navigation in another QTV Balitanghali report. (We want to know when the ship is actually leaving so that we can go home already.) Another passenger said staying longer at the sea port meant spending money she was supposed to be sending back home. "Ang hirap kapag stranded kasi lahat ng pagkain binibili namin," said another one of the 1,600 passengers at the Pier 2 in Manila. (It's very difficult when we're stranded because we have to buy food.) However, officials of the shipping line just could not give in to the requests of the passengers eager to set sail. Even if the firm's St. Peter the Apostle vessel is already allowed to set sail, the management has chosen not to test the waters. Metro Manila is still under Storm Signal No. 1, and under such signal only water vessels under 1,000 gross tonnage are barred from sailing. St. Peter the Apostle is 6,000 tons. "Ayaw namin isugal ang buhay at kaligtasan ng tao kaya we're taking extra precaution so we have decided to wait for further updates," said Negros Navigation spokesman Gian Galvez. (We do not want to gamble with the lives and safety of the people that's why we're taking extra precautions so we have to wait for further updates.) Class suspension While being far from the eye of the storm, Metro Manila and the nearby provinces of Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulcan were not spared from "Juan's" wrath. The typhoon's 300-kilometer radius span also covered these areas and Education officials had been forced to suspend afternoon classes in all levels. However, similar to previous typhoons, some mothers were unhappy with the supposedly delayed announcement of the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education, which came hours before noon. "Dapat bago ang pasukan sinabi na na sususpindihin ang pasok para hindi nauulanan ang bata," a disappointed mother from Marikina City said in a QTV's Balitanghali report. Unlike their parents, however, some students were still delighted at the announcement, delayed or not. A student even said in the television report, "Masaya po ako kasi puwede akong maglaro at mag-computer." (I'm happy because I can play games on the computer.) School officials reminded the students that they will have to attend special classes to make up for the school days they lost due to the typhoon. Marikina City was among the areas worst hit by the deadly Ondoy (international name: Ketsana), which, though not that powerful, dumped a record amount of rainfall to Metro Manila and neighboring provinces in September 2009, leaving hundreds dead and billions of pesos worth of damages. Learning its lessons from the Ondoy experience, the Marikina City local government has already taken pre-cautionary measures to avoid a repeat of the 2009 disaster, including providing a number of life boats for rescue operations if ever the Marikina River swells anew. A separate Balitanghali report said local authorities in the city were closely monitoring the Tumana River, also in Marikina City, which used to overflow even with a little amount of rain. Currently, water level at the Tumana River rose from the normal level of 12 meters to 14 meters, which is still a meter short of the 15-meter critical level. Not leaving RP yet State weather forecasters added that the super typhoon will not be out of the Philippine area of responsibility until Wednesday morning. It was spotted 180 kilometers (km) west northwest of Dagupan City. Weather forecaster Oscar Aurelio Jr. said Juan packed maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of 210 kph, slightly growing stronger since 5:00 a.m. "Dahil sa isang high pressure dito... halos hindi gumagalaw sa isang lugar. (This is because of a high pressure [area]...it is almost not moving away from one place) It is forecast to move Quasi-stationary for the next 12 hours," said Aurelio at a press conference in Quezon City. After 12 hours, Juan is expected to move west northwest at 17 kph. Despite its "stationary" position, weather forecasters assured it was unlikely for Juan to return to land, or what is popularly called the "Fujiwara Effect." "Sa tingin natin wala nang possibility na bumalik.. pero baka bumaba [We don't think it will return to land, but it can move further down the South China Sea]," he said. - Mark Merueñas, VVP/RSJ, GMANews.TV