Rain in NCR on SONA Day possible as Habagat continues to affect PH

The Southwest Monsoon, locally known as Habagat, will continue to bring occasional rains over parts of the country on Monday—including in Metro Manila, where President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is set to deliver his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).

According to state weather bureau PAGASA's Sunday forecasts, the Habagat is expected to bring occasional rains to the Ilocos Region, Zambales, Bataan, and Occidental Mindoro.

PAGASA said the Habagat is also seen to bring cloudy skies with of isolated rains or thunderstorms to Metro Manila, the Cordillera Administrative Region, the Cagayan Valley, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, the rest of Central Luzon, and the rest of MIMAROPA.

The rest of the country is projected to experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rains or thunderstorms.

Tropical Depression Emong (international name: Co-may) exited the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Saturday morning, but PAGASA is now monitoring Severe Tropical Storm Krosa.

Krosa was last seen 2,395 kilometers east of extreme northern Luzon, with maximum sustained winds of 110 kph near the center, and gustiness of up to 135 kph, moving northward at 15 kph.

A number of local government units (LGUs) have already suspended classes due to inclement weather conditions.

In Metro Manila, the National Capital Region Police Office said that nearly 23,000 police personnel have been deployed for security measures during the event. These include more than 10,000 in Quezon City, according to Mav Gonzales' report on 24 Oras Weekend.

The Batasang Pambansa Complex, where Marcos will deliver his SONA, is already on lockdown, with security personnel inspecting incoming vehicles, while a city-wide liquor ban will be enforced.

The MMDA, meanwhile, said that it will set up counterflow measures on Commonwealth Avenue to deal with traffic. 

If it rains, "Naiayos na natin ang drainage inlet sa Commonwealth," MMDA Chairman Romando Artes said. "Temporarily lalagyan namin may mga mobile pumps tayo sa MMDA, tututukan muna namin para maibato, papunta sa creek ang tubig sa Commonwealth."

(We have fixed the drainage inlet on Commonwealth. We have temporarily put mobile pumps that we will point so that the water from Commonwealth will go into the creek.)

Marcos's SONA will be held after days of rains from the Habagat as well as Tropical Storms Crising, Dante and Emong affecting parts of the country, particularly in Luzon. In light of the widespread effects of the weather, some sectors and officials have called for doing away with some SONA traditions, including the red carpet.  — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA Integrated News