SP COMMITTEE INVESTIGATES TYPHOON MARING ONSLAUGHT IN LA UNION
By: Jiroh Joy D. Marbella, GPC-SP | Photos By: GPC-SP | Date: October 11-12, 2021
In response to the invitation of the 22nd Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of La Union, representatives from the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the Provincial Disaster Risk and Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) attended the Committee Hearing of the SP Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Management and Relief Services chaired by Hon. Gary Pinzon on October 25, 2021, via online video conferencing. The said committee hearing was conducted to enlighten the SP on the basis, guidelines, and proper procedures in giving forecasts and warning before and during the onslaught of typhoon "Maring," which traversed Northern Luzon on October 11-12, 2021.
Sangguniang Panlalawigan Member (SPM) Christian I. Rivera requested during the Unassigned Business of the 121st SP Session for the aforementioned agencies to explain why the Province of La Union, which was declared under Signal No. 1, was heavily ravaged by typhoon "Maring," which brought strong winds accompanied by torrential rains that flooded many areas in the province and severely damaging infrastructure and agriculture including several missing persons and loss of human lives.
To give light on how storm warnings and severe weather bulletins are issued, Mr. Romeo Ganal Jr, Forecaster from PAGASA Regional office, gave a short but detailed presentation wherein he explained the agency's observation methods and the categories of rainfall advisory. He explained that Public Storm Warning Signals, which are raised to warn the public of incoming weather disturbances, are for the projected strength of winds brought by an incoming storm or typhoon. He added that a separate Rainfall Warning System (RWS) is issued during the weather disturbance. He further explained that for Heavy Rainfall Warnings, a 3-color coding is used. A yellow rainfall advisory is raised when the expected rainfall amount is between 7.5 mm and 15 mm within one hour and is likely to continue. The orange rainfall advisory is raised in areas where rainfall is between 15 mm and 30 mm within one hour, where flooding is a definite threat in communities under this alert.
Meanwhile, a red rainfall advisory is issued when downpours constitute an emergency, and this is raised when observed rainfall is more than 30 mm within one hour or if rainfall has continued for the past three hours and is more than 65 mm.
Mr. Ganal added that from October 11, 12:00 pm to October 12, 2:00 pm, a total of 10 Heavy Rainfall Warnings were released. For the province of La Union, at 2:00 am on October 12, the highest heavy rainfall warning, Red rainfall advisory, was raised because of the continuous and high volume of rainfall. Furthermore, he revealed that in the municipality of Bacnotan, according to their measurements, 589.4 mm of rain was recorded from October 11, 8:01 am to October 12, 8:00 am, which he said is a month's worth of rainfall. He believes that one of the causes of flooding in the province is because the neighboring province of La Trinidad recorded 713.2 mm of rain which caused the heavy down flow of water from the mountains of Cordilleras into the water systems in La Union.
Dr. Cayanan, also from PAGASA, related a proposal for constructing a Regional Center in the City of San Fernando to bolster the warning capabilities of PAGASA in the province, as their observation center, which is located in Bacnotan, is lacking appropriate equipment. She likewise said that every time that there is a tropical storm, the LGU is advised to activate their Emergency Operations Council and conduct their monitoring.
Meanwhile, Mr. Aurellano Rulloda, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer (PDRRMO), informed the committee that their office has multiple modes of communication with the Office of Civil Defense, PAGASA and other related agencies, hours before the issuances of weather disturbance bulletins and coordinated with the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management offices of each component LGUs.
In closing, SPM Gary Pinzon, Chairperson of the committee, stated that this committee inquiry was conducted not to put the blame on any particular agency or office but to be enlightened based on releasing of storm warnings so the people may know and for the province and other component LGUs to be more prepared for any upcoming storms and typhoons in the future to avoid any untoward incidents. Furthermore, he pledged that the committee would coordinate more closely with the concerned agencies and offices for the constant improvement of the disaster preparedness of the province.
