Bising brings landslides, floods to Northern Luzon

Families in Ilocos Region, Cordillera and Cagayan Valley were affected by the rains brought by Typhoon ‘Bising’.

Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Officer-In-Charge Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said in a radio interview that at least 4,000 families, equivalent to 13,000 individuals, were affected in the three regions.

“There were only partial damages to houses, and about five road sections were closed,” Alejandro said, adding that the most visible effects were class and work suspension.

He added that there were no reported casualties so far.

In Itogon, Benguet, at least 13 families were evacuated by the local government following a landslide caused by continuous rainfall.

Personnel of the OCD have also distributed food packs to 235 families affected by flooding in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur.

As of 4:00 PM on Sunday, Typhoon ‘Bising’ was located 335 kilometers west-northwest of Itbayat, Batanes, and remains outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

It has maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour and wind gusts up to 160 kilometers per hour.

Bising is still moving in a northeastward direction.

PAGASA Weather Specialist Veronica Torres said that the typhoon’s trough is bringing scattered rains and cloudy skies over Batanes and Babuyan Islands.

Signal No. 1 is raised over Batanes.

Torres added that the typhoon is expected to re-enter the PAR tonight and will also exit by tomorrow morning.

Moderate to heavy rainfall, ranging from 50 to 100 millimeters, is expected in the Ilocos Region, Zambales and Bataan until this Monday afternoon.

A gale warning of 3.1 to 4.5 meters is possible over the seaboards of Batanes while moderate to rough sea conditions are expected over the western seaboards of Northern Luzon.