PAGASA officer-in-charge Graciano Yumul, who is also the undersecretary of the Department of Science and Technology, told GMANews' 24 Oras that the typhoon was affected by two weather systems off the coast of China. "Yung high-pressure ridge... parang bakod, tsaka yung bagyo parang jeepney, so yung jeepney hindi makadiretso sa bakod. Hinihintay muna na maalis ang bakod bago makaandar ang jeepney, so yung high-pressure ridge papaalis na siya, kaya umaandar na [ang bagyo]," he explained. In the meantime, the rains will continue in central Luzon, southern Luzon, and the National Capital Region (NCR), Yumul added. Isabela, Cagayan ‘worst-hit’ by Juan The province of Isabela, the entry point of ‘Juan’ to the Philippines on Monday, bore the brunt of the devastation from the typhoon. Local officials said that Isabela — the country’s second top rice-producing province after Nueva Ecija — has already lost P921 million in damage to crops. The National Food Authority (NFA) estimates that total losses could reach up to P1.5 billion. Half of the recorded fatalities from typhoon Juan were residents of Isabela: three in Maconaco, one in Delfin Albano, and one in Sta. Maria. Food vendor Nesie Callaotit, her husband and two children were hurriedly packing clothes to flee to safety when the wind yanked off half of their tin roof, exposing their house in northeastern Isabela province to pounding rain and strong winds. They held on to a wooden post for three hours until the chaos eased. "All of us were in tears," the Associated Press quoted 40-year-old Callaotit as saying. "We thought it was our last day together." There has been no electricity throughout the province since Monday, and reports from the area indicate that residents are also facing lack of clean water and fuel. Isabela Gov. Faustino Dy III has appealed to local government units for help in restoring energy supply, saying electric cooperatives lack personnel to fix power lines in the region. More than 8,000 people rode out the typhoon in sturdy school buildings, town halls, churches and relatives' homes. Roads in and out of the coastal province were deserted and blocked by collapsed trees, power lines and debris. Iron-sheet roofs on many of the houses were blown away. In Tamauini town, Ariel Marzan said he escaped just minutes before his house tumbled amid winds so strong his roof was swept into a nearby rice field 30 yards away. "I didn't expect it to be so strong," he said as he surveyed the damage and picked up the strewn pieces of his household. Nearby coconut and banana groves were flattened. In Cagayan province, the weather has become relatively calmer but some areas still have no electricity, according to a report on GMA News' 24 Oras. Cagayan suffered over P6 million in losses from agricultural damage while vast fields of palay remain submerged in floods, said local officials. Cagayan Valley accounts for 30 percent of the national rice output. Combined, the Cagayan Valley and Ilocos regions lost around 12 percent of their rice production for the season, reported the Associated Press. A still-undetermined number of hectares of fish pens and rice fields have also been destroyed in Ilocos Sur. In Candon City, at least P3 million worth of of fish pens was destroyed, said local officials. In Pangasinan province, a mother and her 4-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son were pinned to death when a tree collapsed on their house, disaster official Eugene Cabrera said. Another man was killed by lightning in the same province. At least nine were injured in the region by falling trees, collapsed roof and shattered glass, officials said. Prices rise in Baguio The Department of Public Works and Highways has started clearing operations in Baguio City but fallen trees continue to block roads. According to a 24 Oras report, up to 80 percent of the popular mountain resort city still has no electricity. Continuing rainfall has buried the City Camp Lagoon in floods while some 50 families were evacuated earlier Monday from the Lourdes subdivision in Baguio City, where the flood has reached the roof of houses. Due to landslides in the roads to and from Mountain Province and Benguet, the usual routes of vegetable suppliers, prices have risen in Baguio, often doubled or higher. Repolyo, which cost P7-8 per kilo yesterday, now costs P15. Meanwhile, the price of celery has risen from P12 to P50; potatoes from P20 to P30; sayote from P4-5 to P8-10; and carrots from P23-25 to P35. Marcos Highway, one of the main roads leading to Baguio City, is now passable. However, Kennon road remains closed for safety reasons, as authorities fear further landslides or falling trees. Elections, travel affected The NDRRMC plans to recommend to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) the postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in the areas affected by typhoon Juan. COMELEC chair Jose Melo is set to meet with the NDRRMC on Wednesday. "We cannot go on elections and elect our barangay officials while we are busy with recovery, rehabilitation, and relief," said NDRRMC administrator Benito Ramos. Thousands of passengers remain stranded at various ports throughout Luzon. St. Peter the Apostle, a vessel of shipping company Negros Navigation, remains docked at Pier 2 of Manila north harbor, leaving over 1,600 passengers stranded. Over 1,000 passengers of the St. Joseph the Worker from Bacolod are also stranded in the Mindoro sea. Rise of Marikina river monitored In Metro Manila, which remains under Storm Signal No. 1, relentless rains have increased the water level of Tumana river in Marikina City, one of the areas which suffered the worst damage from Ondoy last year. The Markina City hall is monitoring the river through CCTV cameras with built-in video analytics, which will sound the alarm when the river reaches the critical level of 15 meters above sea level. The water level is currently 14 meters, although the normal rate is 12 meters. Last year, when tropical storm Ondoy hit Metro Manila, the waters of the river rose as high as 22 meters above sea level, nearly reaching the Tumana bridge. Although super typhoon Juan is on its way out, the NDRRMC reminded the public to remain cautious as the strong winds and sporadic rainfall will likely continue until Thursday. - with reports from AP and Larissa Mae Suarez/DM/YA/VVP, GMANews.TV