El Niño-induced wildfires break out in Mindanao, Visayas

VILLAGE THREAT A grass fire has already spread across a two-hectare area at Barangay Bata in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, by the time this drone shot was taken on Tuesday morning. JOSE ANTONIO ROSELLO

By: Carla Gomez, Nestle Semilla, Ryan D. Rosauro - @inquirerdotnet

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:34 AM April 04, 2024

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Rising heat levels due to the El Niño weather phenomenon have been causing wildfires in various parts of Mindanao and the Visayas, with the latest on Wednesday threatening to engulf the airport in General Santos City (in Soccsksargen or Region 12).

Firefighters battled for four hours a wildfire in Barangay San Isidro that broke out around 11 a.m., was put under control after three hours and eventually put out by 3 p.m.

It was the most serious incident so far since wildfires broke out in various parts of Mindanao beginning last month.

San Isidro village chief Edward Frederick Yumang led the barangay’s fire and rescue brigade in extinguishing the blaze, aided by the Bureau of Fire Protection’s Calumpang substation and the fire brigades of Calumpang, Labangal and Bula villages, the firefighting team of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, and three volunteer fire brigades.

The fire, according to Yumang, started inside the airport compound but no damage was reported to its facilities and other nearby properties.

On Wednesday, General Santos City was expected to register a heat index of 38 to 40 degrees Celsius and a video shared on social media by a certain Francis Sablon taken from inside a landed plane showed thick smoke hovering near the airport’s traffic control tower.

Near airport

Six days earlier, a wildfire also broke out near the airport compound in Barangay Fatima.

The most wildfires, per monitoring by the Inquirer, were in Koronadal City, the capital of South Cotabato province, with six incidents starting on March 4.

The most serious was on March 19, in Barangay Paraiso, when the blaze threatened a power distribution facility, leading to an unscheduled power interruption in the city.

Wildfires also broke out in Banga, Tantangan and Polomolok towns.

In Cotabato province, a grass fire spread on Tuesday night and engulfed portions of an oil palm plantation in Mlang town, local media organizations reported.

Also, on Tuesday night, a fire spread across a grassland in the hinterlands of Sta. Cruz town, Davao del Sur, toward its boundary with Digos City. The fire was put out by 2 a.m. on Wednesday through the combined efforts of the fire stations of Digos, Sta. Cruz and volunteer firefighters.

Rising heat index

In Bacolod City, at least 13 fire incidents, 10 of which were grass fires, were recorded on April 2 amid the forecast heat index of 42 C.

A grass fire with alarmingly huge flames hit seven hectares near the Northbound Terminal in Barangay Banago at 5:41 p.m. and was extinguished around 8 p.m., the Bacolod City Fire Station reported.

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez visited the Missionaries of Charity in Barangay Banago, which cares for the indigent elderly and sick, as the alarm was raised since the raging grass fire was close to their facility and the smoke could be harmful to its patients.

Benitez said the nuns and patients at the facility were okay.

A grass fire also hit two hectares in Barangay Bata at 7:46 a.m. and was declared out at 9:51 a.m.

Fire also destroyed the house of Roland Dillapeña Tulopia at Bangga Totong, Barangay Felisa, Bacolod City, while rubbish and vehicular fires were also reported on Tuesday.

Early reporting crucial

Benitez called on the public, as well as all barangay and purok officials, to be extra vigilant against grass fires and other fire incidents and to immediately report them to the nearest fire station, said lawyer Caesar Distrito, the mayor’s spokesperson.

“The mayor also asked barangays to organize or reactivate volunteers as part of the firefighting initiatives of the city,” Distrito said.

The mayor reminded Bacolod residents to avoid burning their garbage and to make sure fire-prone and combustible materials were stored safely.

Southern Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao affected by ITCZ — Pagasa

2,227 views Sep 22, 2023

Scattered rain showers and thunderstorms are expected in Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration reported on Friday. Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1835324... Visit us at https://www.inquirer.net Facebook: https://facebook.com/inquirerdotnet Twitter: https://twitter.com/inquirerdotnet

Flood, landslide warnings persist as rains continue to batter S. Luzon, VisMin

Published January 12, 2023, 7:58 AM

by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz

(SATELLITE IMAGE / PAGASA WEBSITE)

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned against flooding in low-lying areas and landslides in mountainous areas due to the prevalence of three rain-inducing weather systems—the low pressure area (LPA), shear line, and northeast monsoon

The LPA was last spotted 380 kilometers east of Surigao City, Surigao del Norte at around 3 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 12. 

Although the LPA has a slim chance of developing into a tropical depression in 24 hours, PAGASA said the combined effect of the LPA and shear line—a weather system brought about by the convergence of cold and warm air masses—may cause scattered to widespread rains and thunderstorms over Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Negros Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, and Dinagat Islands.

Those in these areas were warned against floods or landslides during moderate to intense rains.

Cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms may also affect Bicol Region, Romblon, and the rest of Visayas and Mindanao.

Flash floods or landslides during moderate to heavy rains are also possible in these areas.

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Furthermore, PAGASA said the northeast monsoon, locally called “amihan,” may bring cloudy and rainy weather in the Cagayan Valley, Aurora, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, and Palawan.

The rest of Luzon, including Metro Manila, may experience partly cloudy to cloudy weather with light amihan rains.

Rainy weekend ahead

PAGASA weather specialist Benison Estareja said the LPA and shear line may continue to dampen parts of the country until the weekend.

By Friday, PAGASA expects the LPA to bring rains over a large portion of Visayas and Mindanao as the weather disturbance remains almost stationary near Caraga and Eastern Visayas.

Estareja said that rains will be more concentrated in Southern Luzon and Visayas as the LPA approaches these areas by weekend. 

Meanwhile, cloudy skies and light to moderate rains due to the shear line may prevail over Metro Manila by Friday.

“Over the weekend, expect more rains due to the close approach of the LPA. The trough or extension of the LPA, along with the shear line, may cause flooding in large parts of Metro Manila and nearby areas in Central Luzon and Calabarzon,” Estareja warned.

Visayas, Mindanao internet to get boost

By Francis Earl Cueto, Manila Times

THE Marcos administration plans to improve the internet connection in Visayas and Mindanao with the help of mega-billionaire Elon Musk's Starlink satellite communications network.

Information and Communications Secretary Ivan John Uy on Monday said Starlink is ideal for such an upgrade because it uses low-orbit satellites.

"The scope of coverage is far greater and can reach areas that can't be reached or are hard to reach," Uy said in a press briefing.

He said telecommunications companies or telcos usually find it hard to set up in "missionary routes" or areas that have few users.

A network of low-orbit satellites like Starlink's is ideal for such a venture, he said.

"So far, the coverages are [in] the northern part of the Philippines and not much in the southern part where we badly need satellite connectivity. That is why a new satellite might be launched that would cover central Philippines," Uy said.

He did not say if the project will be handled by the government or a private firm, but that it is targeted to be done by the end of the year.

Uy said that right now he is reviewing the projects of the agency since there are numerous problems that need to be dealt with first.

Among them is the strengthening or reviving of the free public WiFi.

"We are studying it; we have to sit down and work on it. There are many and different issues that need to be resolved first," he said.

The free WiFi project has been saddled with problems, including the nonpayment to the subscriptions for connectivity, and hardware and contractor issues.

Uy vowed that the DICT "will continue to make the free public WiFi more effective."

4 Visayas cities very high risk for COVID-19

Vendors and other individuals working at the night market queue for their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine in Divisoria, Manila during the night vaccination program of the local government on Aug. 2, 2021.

The STAR / Miguel de Guzman

By: Janvic Mateo - The Philippine Star 

MANILA, Philippines — Four highly urbanized cities in the Visayas are still considered “very high risk” for COVID-19, according to a member of the OCTA Research Group.

OCTA fellow Guido David said the average daily attack rate (ADAR) or the number of infections per 100,000 people remains “very high” in Bacolod, Iloilo, Cebu and Mandaue.

Iloilo recorded the highest ADAR as of Tuesday with 64.06 followed by Cebu with 40.32; Mandaue, 29.99, and Bacolod, 27.26.

The four cities also have high reproduction numbers of over 1.0 and very high positivity rates of more than 20 percent.

In terms of health care utilization, Mandaue logged a high 78 percent. The three other cities are now at moderate levels.

David said Lapu-Lapu, Ormoc and Tacloban are classified as ”high risk” for COVID-19.

He said Lapu-Lapu recorded a very high ADAR of 39.83, but its health care utilization rate was below 50 percent, which is considered low based on the metric used by OCTA.

Ormoc had a moderate ADAR of 9.12 while Tacloban recorded a high 15.62 daily new infections per 100,000 people in the past week.

Positivity rates in the three cities remain very high. Ormoc logged the highest at 75 percent.

Bacolod, Iloilo, Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, Ormoc and Tacloban were placed under Alert Level 3 until Feb. 15 due to a surge in COVID cases fueled by the Omicron variant.

Mindanao Fruit Farmers expanding reach to the Visayas

By Allan Nawal

FRUITS GALORE. Fruit lovers in Lingayen, Pangasinan troop to the municipal hall grounds on Saturday (September 14, 2019), for the MinDA Fruit Festival. (Mindanao Development Authority photo)

DAVAO CITY – The fruit festival organized by the Mindanao Development Authority, which aims to link Mindanao's fruit farmers with consumers outside of the island-region, is coming to the Visayas.

MinDA chair Emmanuel Piñol on Saturday said the Visayas leg would take place in Cebu City from September 28-29, 2019.

“Secretary Michael Dino, the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, said he will host the Cebu staging of the MinDA Fruits Festival to give Cebuanos access to fresh fruits from Mindanao at lower prices,” Piñol said.

He said the Visayas leg was finalized during a recent chance meeting with Dino at the Manila Domestic Airport.

“Sec. Dino said he will be able to choose the ideal location for the fruits festival next week,” Piñol added.

Meanwhile, the Pangasinan version of the MinDA fruits festival took place on Saturday, where residents of Lingayen and those from nearby areas started feasting on such popular Mindanao fruits as durian, mangosteen, pomelo, marang, among others.

Piñol said in a Facebook post that it was still dark when prospective buyers came to the municipal hall grounds for the fruit festival.

The Lingayen version was the fourth of such event since last month.

“Next week, the MinDA Fruits Festival will be staged in La Trinidad, Benguet and then Cebu City,” Piñol added.

He said the conduct of the fruits festival would be conducted in a regular and sustainable manner and that MinDA had negotiated with airline companies for a special cargo price for Mindanao's fruits.

Piñol said part of the sustainability plan is the pursuit of trading arrangements with other local government units in Luzon and the Visayas.

He cited that local government officials, such as Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong and Lingayen Mayor Leopoldo Bataoil, were instrumental in the previous and the current fruits festivals.

Piñol said he was also looking forward to increasing the number of suppliers in the future to satisfy consumer demand, noting that in the Baguio experience, 20 tons of fruits were not even enough due to the volume of buyers.

“The more supplier, the better. That way, all sides will benefit. Consumers will enjoy fruits at a reasonable price and fruit farmers will have new and bigger markets,” he said.

Mindanao fruit farmers usually experience supply glut during harvest seasons, pushing the prices so low.

For example, last February, rambutan only sold at about PHP20 per kilogram in Mindanao because of the large volume of harvest. (PNA)

Rising Number of Trafficked Fishermen in Tawi-Tawi

by Jake Soriano

 

BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi—Tawi-Tawi authorities are alarmed at the growing number of fishermen from the Visayas who end up here after being recruited by human trafficking syndicates to engage in dangerous compressor diving.

The latest case involves 13 fishermen rescued from a fishing village here on March 15 by a team composed of the Tawi-Tawi Provincial Police Office (PPO), Philippine Marines and the Bongao Inter-agency Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons (BIATFAT).

The case is the eighth recorded by BIATFAT since December 2012, and brings the total number of rescued fishermen to 80, all of them from Cebu and Bohol.

 

 

 

Not just a backdoor transit point, Tawi-Tawi is also a destination for human trafficking victims.

“They have taken a huge risk in accepting compressor diving work here,” said Inspector Elmira Relox, chief of the Tawi-Tawi PPO Women and Children Protection Desk, who led the rescue.

Compressor diving, a dangerous deep-sea fishing method, requires the fishermen to dive into the water without any gear, except for a plastic hose attached to an air pump on the surface. The diver inhales air through the hose when deep underwater.

Police said compressor diving killed one fisherman and incapacitated another. The casualties, both of who had been recruited along with the 13 rescued fishermen, were not identified.

The rescued fishermen told police they started working for a certain Nelson Mohammad in September 2013, with the contract supposed to expire last February.

Mohammad, however, reportedly detained them in his residence after they complained of unfair pay and refused to extend their contract. He also claimed the fishermen still owed him money he had advanced to them in Cebu and their transportation expenses going to Tawi-Tawi.

Police said one of the fishermen escaped by swimming in the shallow waters off the edge of Bongao island and alerted the local authorities to the group’s situation.

Prosecutor Ivy Damayo of the Sea-based Anti-trafficking Task Force said hundreds more fishermen are trapped in dire working conditions on the islands.

The 13 rescued fishermen are from Lapu-Lapu City. The youngest is 19, the oldest 48.

“They were exploited and harassed by their employers,” Relox said.

According to police, fishermen from Cebu and Bohol are lured by recruiters who are known or related to them.

These recruiters advance the fishermen a portion of the promised salary ranging from P10,000 to P15,000 to get them to agree to work in Tawi-Tawi usually on a six-month contract. The fishermen are also promised a share of the profit from the catch.

But the agreements are made only orally. Once in Tawi-Tawi, the deep-sea divers are left to the mercy of their employers, and the promises forgotten.

BIATFAT focal person Rosabella Sulani said the fishermen usually work from 3 p.m. until 7 the next morning.

When their contracts are about to expire, the fishermen are told they still owe their employers money and they would have to stay to be able to pay their debts. The victims, therefore, get caught in a vicious cycle of debt bondage, Sulani said.

 

 

Fishing is a leading source of livelihood in Tawi-Tawi.

 

Fishermen are also regularly threatened with violence, according to police. Their employers usually carry firearms and claim to have a network of contacts among the local authorities in Tawi-Tawi.

Mohammad managed to evade capture when local authorities raided his residence to rescue the 13 fishermen and, according to Sulani, has become the newest addition to the growing list of suspects behind the trafficking of fishermen from Cebu and Bohol to Tawi-Tawi.

He is the first to be identified operating in Languyan town near Bongao, capital of Tawi-Tawi, said Sulani.

The victims told police that Mohammad lives in Sama-Kasulutan in Simandagit, Bongao, reputedly a den for lawless elements, including members of the Abu Sayyaf. He is known to carry firearms, and once fired a gun in the air when he got mad at his employees.

One of the rescued fishermen told police that Mohammad also claims to be well connected to law enforcement officials in Tawi-Tawi.

Three other suspects identified by Sulani allegedly employing compressor divers in the island municipalities of Sibutu and Sitangkai are Anthony Jumat and the brothers “Ugly” and Jimmy Haibit.

BIATFAT records of Bongao cases referred to Zamboanga City show that Jimmy Haibit was charged with human trafficking on July 16, 2013. The case is awaiting resolution.

Also charged was Policarpio “Paul” Mantos, who reportedly recruits fishermen from Cebu and Bohol.

BIATFAT, meanwhile, referred on Jan. 29 a trafficking case against Jumat to the Zamboanga City Prosecutor’s Office. Task force officials said Jumat is also known as a notorious drug pusher in Tawi-Tawi and that he allegedly works with recruiter Jefferson Daño.

Last Sept. 5, BIATFAT rescued a fisherman from Bohol who said as payment for the amount given to him in advance in Bohol, Jumat made him peddle the illegal drug methamphetamine hydrochloride, also known as shabu.

Sulani said some fishermen are forced to use “shabu” to combat tough sea conditions, particularly the extreme cold at night.

No cases have been filed against Mohammad, his recruiter, identified as Eduardo Tumulak, and “Ugly” Haibit. They are at large.

The Tawi-Tawi PPO and the BIATFAT turned over the 13 rescued fishermen to authorities in Zamboanga, who in turn facilitated their return to Cebu.

Relox said catching the employers and recruiters remains a problem for the police. “They are just too good,” she said, referring to human traffickers’ skills at evading authorities.

While many victims have been rescued, only a few are interested in pursuing cases, Damayo said. Among the 80 rescued, she said, “only about three are interested” in legal action against their former employers and recruiters.

(This story is part of VERA Files' project “Human Trafficking Casewatch” supported by the U.S. Embassy's Small Grants Facility and the Embassy of Canada. VERA Files is put out by senior journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. VERA is Latin for true.)

Bad Weather in The Philippines

A friend of mine, living in the U.S., emailed me this morning and asked, if it is true, that Mindanao is expecting another taifun.

An active low pressure area will bring widespread rains over Visayas and Eastern Mindanao, according to the Philippine Atmosphere, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). And, I must confess, while writing this piece, it's starting again raining here in Davao City.

PAGASA, in its weather synopsis, said that the ALPA was estimated based on satellite and surfaced data at 350 kilometers east of Southern Mindanao. The APLA is now diminishing its chances to become a tropical cyclone as it approaches land. 

For its wind and sea alert, the weather bureau said moderate to strong winds blowing from the east  will prevail over Luzon and coming from the east to northeast over Visayas and Mindanao. 

Guys, where ever you are located, please be safe.