By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter
TWO TROPICAL cyclones in the Philippines were beginning to interact as they drew closer to each other, a weather phenomenon that could enhance the southwest monsoon and bring heavier rains, according to the state weather bureau.
Emong, which had intensified into a tropical storm, was seen 120 kilometers (km) west of Laoag City in Ilocos Norte in northern Philippines as of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in a 4 p.m. report.
It added that Dante, another tropical storm, was last spotted 845 km east-northeast of extreme northern Luzon.
Dante and Emong were close enough to trigger a binary interaction as they were only about 1,100 km apart, PAGASA said earlier in the day, calling the phenomenon the “Fujiwhara effect.” It said a binary interaction could happen if the distance between two storms is less than 1,500 km.
“Based on their tracks, we are seeing a possible interaction between the two,” the agency said in Filipino.
PAGASA said Dante, which was moving north toward Taiwan, might pull Emong along as the latter was initially looping on the western side of Ilocos Norte. Dante could become the dominant system because it is stronger, it added.
“So, instead of Emong moving toward the West Philippine Sea, it will follow Dante’s path,” PAGASA said. The two storms would likely have the closest interaction near Taiwan as Dante leaves the Philippine area of responsibility.
“They will not necessarily combine into one, but this will be their closest interaction.”
The combined strength of the two cyclones could enhance the southwest monsoon, it said. It added that parts of northern Luzon might experience heavy rains due to the circular movement of Emong.
Dante and Emong both had maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph. Dante was moving north-northwestward at 25 kph, while Emong was moving southwestward at 20 kph, PAGASA said.
PAGASA said the southwest monsoon was affecting central and southern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.
More than 3,000 villages across 15 provinces in Bicol, Cagayan Valley, Mimaropa and Western Visayas were “very highly susceptible” to rain-induced floods and landslides, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB) said in a separate statement, citing PAGASA’s rainfall forecast.
Almost 5,000 villages in 22 provinces including the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Calabarzon and Central Luzon were “highly susceptible,” it added.
In the National Capital Region, 1,403 villages faced “high susceptibility risks,” that needed urgent precautionary measures.
DENR-MGB said its forecasts highlight Occidental Mindoro, Antique and Zambales as areas expected to experience the highest rainfall, with over 80% of villages there likely to be affected in the next three days.
“These conditions necessitate prompt action from local government units to mitigate risks to residents.”
The Philippines has been dealing with heavy flooding for days largely triggered by the southwest monsoon.
The disaster agency on Wednesday put the death toll at seven, up from six a day earlier, after recording a death in Metro Manila.
Two of the reported deaths have been confirmed, while five were still being verified, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said in a morning report.
The agency previously reported three deaths in Northern Mindanao and one each in the Davao Region, Caraga Region and Mimaropa. It said seven people had been injured and eight were still missing.
About 1.41 million people from more than 401,000 families have been affected. More than 141,000 people were staying at 537 evacuation sites.
In a separate statement, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said damage to public infrastructure from the southwest monsoon and recent tropical cyclones had reached P3.75 billion.
The agency said the Bureau of Maintenance recorded the most significant losses in flood control structures at P3.24 billion. Damage to national roads was estimated at P483.68 million, and national bridges suffered P24.48 million in losses.
The agency said the estimates include infrastructure losses in Central Luzon, Ilocos Region, Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Western Visayas and the Negros Island Region.
The damage was attributed to the southwest monsoon and the effects of tropical cyclones Crising, Dante and Emong, which brought widespread rains and flooding across several provinces.
As of July 23, the DPWH said 27 national roads remained partially passable due to flooding, precautionary closures, collapsed slope protections, road slips and washed-out detour roads.
These affected road sections were in the National Capital Region, Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol Region and the Zamboanga Peninsula.
Despite the extensive impact, the agency said it had reopened 35 national road sections affected by the storms. However, five roads remained impassable including Kennon Road, the Urdaneta Junction–Dagupan–Lingayen Road via Tarlac, Urdaneta Junction–Dagupan–Lingayen Road via Zambales, Paniqui–Camiling–Wawa Road and Talisay–Laurel–Agoncillo Road.
The DPWH is proposing a P150-billion budget for its flood control projects next year, lower than this year’s budget, as the agency plans to carry out its own dredging activities, Public Works Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan told “Storycon” on One News.
The heavy flooding that severely hit parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces in recent days happened just a few days before Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. holds his fourth address before Congress.
Greenpeace Philippines urged the President to make climate injustice a major issue in his state of the nation address
He should “demonstrate real climate leadership in his upcoming SONA by making the biggest contributors to the climate crisis pay their fair share,” Virginia Benosa-Llorin, a senior campaigner at Greenpeace Philippines, said in a statement. “We call on President Marcos to use his SONA platform to push for bold climate action.”
Greenpeace noted that communities pay the price for a crisis they didn’t cause “while huge corporate polluters — giant oil and gas companies — rake in trillions [of pesos].”
“The climate crisis is an unfair burden on communities and on taxpayers who are shouldering the costs and burden of the never-ending response and relief activities,” she added.
The statement was also made ahead of the International Court of Justice’s release of an advisory opinion on “the obligations of states in respect of climate change” on July 23. “It is expected to serve as a guide for governments to put people and the planet as top policy priorities,” Greenpeace said.
In its formal submission to the international court, the Marcos administration said the “Philippines is committed to shaping a global framework that ensures justice for those most affected by the climate crisis and secures a sustainable future for all.”
“We want more than speeches,” Ms. Benosa-Llorin said. “We want action. Support stronger climate policies, end support for fossil fuel expansion and fast-track the passage of the CLIMA bill.”
The bill seeks to hold corporations responsible for climate damage and secure justice for affected communities. “It will raise the bar for climate policy in the Philippines and around the world.” — with Ashley Erika O. Jose