Typhoon ‘Ramil’ lashes Luzon, leaves 5 dead

Typhoon “Ramil,” internationally known as Fengshen, tore across Luzon on Sunday, killing five in a family of six, forcing tens of thousands to flee, and stranding thousands of travelers in ports across the country.

Police and disaster officials said the fatalities were from Pitogo, Quezon province, where a tree collapsed on a family’s house at daybreak as the storm’s winds intensified.

The family members, including children aged 2 and 11, were crushed to death in their sleep. Pitogo is situated about 153 kilometers (95 miles) southeast of the capital, Manila.

“The entire family was asleep in a house made of light materials,” Governor Angelina Tan of Quezon province said in a radio interview, adding that a sixth member of the family survived.

Pitogo police official Sonny Ombajino confirmed the deaths, saying they occurred as the storm raked across the south of Luzon overnight.

“Ramil” made landfall in Gubat, Sorsogon, late Saturday afternoon with gusts reaching 80 kilometers (50 miles) per hour before crossing southeastern Luzon overnight and hovering over Manila Bay by Sunday morning.

The state weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the storm brought maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers (47 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 90 kph (56 mph), and was heading out to sea at press time.

Thousands of evacuees sought shelter in schools and gymnasiums as rain pounded the Bicol Region and Southern Tagalog provinces. Local officials said preemptive evacuations in low-lying and coastal areas helped prevent larger casualties.

“We had heavy rain and wind gusts, though they were not that strong,” said Gubat rescuer Ryan Estrellado.

Authorities said around 47,000 residents in southeastern Luzon had already moved to evacuation centers by Saturday amid warnings of possible landslides and storm surges.

In Albay and nearby Catanduanes, more than 27,000 people fled to higher ground as waves of up to two meters (six feet) were forecast along the eastern seaboard.

Ports shut down

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that 6,398 passengers, including truck drivers and cargo helpers, were stranded in various ports nationwide as the typhoon forced the suspension of sea travel.

In the Bicol Region alone, 4,990 people were stuck at ports, including Tabaco, Pasacao, Virac and Matnog, along with 1,506 rolling cargoes and one motorbanca. Twenty-three vessels and four motorbancas were taking shelter, according to the PCG.

In Southern Tagalog, about 1,100 individuals were stranded at Batangas, Real, Lucena, Calapan and Abra de Ilog ports, with 244 rolling cargoes and 17 vessels affected. Forty-nine vessels and 27 motorbancas sought refuge in nearby bays as the storm lashed the coast.

Smaller numbers were stranded in Eastern Visayas and Northeastern Luzon, where five individuals and 17 motorbancas took shelter in ports and wharves, the PCG said.

As the storm moved northwestward, PAGASA placed several areas under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal 2, including the northern towns of Bataan — Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay, Morong, Pilar and Balanga City.

“Forecast rainfall may be higher in mountainous and elevated areas. Moreover, impacts in some areas may be worsened by significant antecedent rainfall,” Bataan Governor Joet S. Garcia warned, citing PAGASA’s bulletin.

He urged local disaster risk reduction and management offices to “take all necessary measures to protect life and property,” adding that PAGASA’s regional divisions may issue heavy rainfall or thunderstorm advisories “as appropriate.”

In Mariveles, Association of Barangay Captains president and Barangay Alion chairman Al Balan canceled a youth basketball tournament due to the worsening weather.

“In fact, we had already prepared foods, snacks, soft drinks, and a sound system for the basketball tournament for the youth. But I have to cancel it to protect the youth and prevent any untoward incident,” Balan said.

'Ramil' maintains strength

According to PAGASA’s 1 p.m. Sunday bulletin, Ramil maintained its strength as it moved away from Luzon, where Signal No. 2 was raised over 11 provinces and several parts of Metro Manila.

As of 1 p.m., the storm was located near Olongapo City, Zambales, with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 90 kph. It was moving west-northwest at 15 kilometers per hour and was expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility by Monday.

Signal No. 2 remained hoisted over the central and southern portions of Benguet, including Itogon, Bokod, Atok, Kapangan, Tublay, La Trinidad, Baguio City, Tuba and Sablan; the central and southern portions of La Union, including Rosario, Pugo, Tubao, Santo Tomas, Agoo, Aringay, Caba, Naguilian, Burgos, Bagulin, Bauang, the City of San Fernando, San Juan, San Gabriel, Bacnotan, Santol, Balaoan, and Luna; and the provinces of Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Tarlac, Pampanga and Zambales.

It also covered central portions of Metro Manila, including Caloocan, Quezon City, Valenzuela, Marikina, Malabon, Navotas, Pasig, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Manila, Makati, Pateros, Taguig, Pasay and Parañaque.

Signal No. 2 was likewise up in the northern and western portions of Rizal, covering Rodriguez, Teresa, Antipolo, San Mateo, Taytay, Cainta and Angono.

PAGASA warned that moderate to heavy rains would continue across affected areas, particularly in Central and Northern Luzon, even as the storm moved closer to the West Philippine Sea.

Baler patrols

In Aurora province, police and emergency responders launched 24-hour patrols and rescue readiness operations as Ramil’s outer bands battered the area with heavy rain and strong winds.

Police Major Edgardo L. Javar of the Baler Municipal Police Station said mobile patrols were deployed “to ensure public safety, monitor road and traffic conditions, and assist residents affected by heavy rains and strong winds brought by the typhoon.”

Ramil’s rampage comes as the Philippines reels from a series of earthquakes that killed at least 87 people over the past three weeks, stretching emergency services thin.

The typhoon, the 18th to hit the country this year, is expected to continue crossing central and northern Luzon before exiting into the West Philippine Sea late Sunday or early Monday.

As of Sunday afternoon, PAGASA warned of possible flash floods and landslides, particularly in mountainous and low-lying areas that had already received significant rainfall in recent days.

The weather bureau said the combination of saturated soil, strong winds, and swollen rivers poses continuing risks even after the storm’s center moves away.

The Philippines faces about 20 tropical storms and typhoons each year, many of which strike densely populated and impoverished areas. Scientists have long warned that such storms are becoming stronger and wetter as the planet warms due to human-driven climate change.

Disaster officials said recovery and clearing operations were already underway in affected towns. “The situation remains fluid,” one official said. “We’re coordinating closely with local governments to ensure that people stay safe and essential services continue to run.”