Typhoon Ineng weakens, Signal 3 up over north Luzon islands

(Updated 7:45 a.m.)Typhoon Ineng (international name Goni) weakened slightly and started moving towards the Batanes Islands early Saturday morning, weather service PAGASA said in a 5 a.m. bulletin.

At 4 a.m., Ineng was 125 kms northeast of Calayan, Cagayan, moving north-northeast at 9 kph.

Ineng had maximum sustained winds of 160 kph near the center, with gusts of up to 195 kph. Estimated rainfall amount within the typhoon's 600 km diameter was from moderate to heavy.



Public Storm Warning Signal Number 3 was up over the Batanes, Calayan and Babuyan Islands, where a storm surge of up to 2 meters was possible along coastal areas, and open sea wave could be as high as 14 meters.

Signal No. 2 was meanwhile up over:

• Cagayan,
• Apayao, and
• Ilocos Norte.

Open sea wave heights in these areas where from 4.1 to 14 meters, and a storm surge of up to a meter was possible.

Signal No. 2 was up over:

• Isabela,
• Kalinga,
• Mt. Province,
• Abra, and
• Ilocos Sur.

Open sea wave height in these areas where from 1.25 mto 4 meters.

PAGASA warned of  possible flash floods and landslides in low lying and mountainous areas under any Storm Signal. Fisher folk were also warned against sailing over the seaboards of Pangasinan, La Union, Central and southern Luzon; and the eastern seaboard of the Visayas.

Aside from the Storm Signals, Ineng will also enhance the monsoon rain over Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon, and the Western Visayas.

According to PAGASA's projections, Ineng will be:

• 180 kms northeast of Basco, Batanes Sunday morning,
• 570 kms northeast of Basco, Batanes Monday morning, and
• 965 kms northeast of Basco, Batanes, and outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, Tuesday morning.

At least 5 people dead

As of Friday evening, civil defense and police officials in the Cordillera region reported that at least five people were killed and more than 700 displaced by landslides, heavy rains from the enhanced southwest monsoon and strong winds from Ineng.

The Cordillera PNP reported that Erwin Celo, 26, and his brother, Markim were killed in a landslide in Itogon, Benguet.

Earlier, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that Michael Felix Guingaban, 58, also died from a landslide in Buguias, also in Benguet.

Also, the Office of Civil Defense in the Cordillera Autonomous Region (OCD-CAR) reported the death of ten-year-old Eycar Mayon in Sabangan, Mountain Province in another landslide.

In Ilocos Norte, rider Herminio Tabuyo, 47 died while his passenger, Luiller Dahilig, 67, was hurt when a tree fell and hit their motorcycle in Pinili town, the provincial PNP said.

In Bucay, Abra, two persons were reportedly swept by floodwaters into the Abra River. One was rescued while the other remains missing, OCD-CAR director Alex Uy said.

Two others were reported missing by the OCD in the Ilocos Region after they were carried by floodwaters in Solsona, Ilocos Norte and in Naguilian, La Union.

In Batanes, Efren Cabugan was hurt when he was hit by a fallen tree branch in Uyugan town, according to OCD-Cagayan Valley director Norma Talosig.

An estimated 145 families or 421 people fled to temporary shelters in Batanes and Cagayan, Talosig said.

In the CAR, Uy said 71 families or 355 people were evacuated in the provinces of Abra, Benguet and Kalinga.

OCD-Ilocos Region director Melchito Castro said the office is monitoring evacuees in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and nearby provinces. However, he said figures are not immediately available.

As of Friday night, 1, 234 people were in evacuation centers across the affected regions, NDRRMC said. — DVM/LBG, GMA News