Sinking

Panoramic view of Manila and the rising Pasig River during the unforgettable Southwest Monsoon of August 2012.

Ang liit. Click the photo to go to the source.

photo: gmanews

Class Suspension for August 8, 2012

It’s been raining non-stop in Luzon, particularly in Metro Manila and its nearby provinces. Quezon City is submerged in flood waters, as well as Valenzuela, Bulacan, and even the cities of Parañaque and Las Piñas.

This is Ondoy part 2, if you would ask me. I’m just a little luckier here in our side of Taguig that we are not touched by flood ever.

Classes have been suspended since Monday in most areas and for those curious which areas have No Classes for tomorrow, August 8 (Wednesday), here’s my list via announcements made by LGUs on Twitter and Facebook. And I am updating this post as new info becomes available.

Metro Manila:

• Caloocan City – all levels (public and private schools)
• Las Piñas City – all levels (public and private schools)
• Makati City – all levels (public and private schools)
• Malabon – all levels (public and private schools)
• Mandaluyong City – all levels (public and private schools)
• Manila City – all levels (public and private schools)
• Marikina City– all levels (public and private schools)
• Muntinlupa City – all levels (public and private schools)
• Navotas – all levels (public and private schools)
• Parañaque City – all levels (public and private schools)
• Pasay City – all levels (public and private schools)
• Pasig City – all levels (public and private schools)
• Pateros – all levels (public and private schools)
• Quezon City – all levels (public and private schools)
• San Juan City – all levels (public and private schools)
• Taguig City – all levels (public and private schools)
• Valenzuela – all levels (public and private schools)

Provinces:

• Angeles, Pampanga
• Antipolo City – all levels (public and private schools)
• Bataan – all levels (public and private schools)
• Batangas (province-wide) – all levels (public and private schools)
• Binangonan, Rizal – preschool to high school (public and private schools)
• Bulacan – all levels (public and private schools)
• Cabanatuan – all levels (public and private schools)
• Cainta, Rizal – all levels (public and private schools)
• Cavite (province-wide) – all levels (public and private schools)
• Laguna (province-wide) – all levels (public and private schools)
• Montalban, Rizal – all levels (public and private schools)
• Nueva Ecija – preschool to high school
• Olongapo City
• Pampanga – all levels (public and private schools)
• Pangasinan – all levels (public and private schools)
• Paombong, Bulacan
• Rizal – preschool to high school
• Rodriguez, Rizal – all levels (public and private schools)
• San Jose del Monte, Bulacan – all levels (public and private schools)
• San Mateo, Rizal – all levels (public and private)
• Tarlac – preschool to high school (public and private schools)
• Taytay, Rizal – all levels (public and private schools)

Schools:

• Adamson University
• Arellano University
• Ateneo De Manila University
• Ateneo Law School
• Centro Escolar University (all campuses)
• Chinese General Hospital Colleges
• Colegio de San Juan de Letran
• Colegio de Sta. Cecilia, Valenzuela (including office work)
• De La Salle University
• Don Bosco (Mandaluyong)
• Far Eastern University (all campuses)
• Fatima University
• Jose Rizal University
• Malayan Colleges, Laguna
• Manila Tytana University
• National College of Science & Technology, Cavite (including office work)
• Polytechnic University of the Philippines (Sta. Mesa, Manila; San Juan; Taguig campuses)
• Technological University of the Philippines
• Trinity University of Asia, Quezon City
• University of Perpetual Help (Las Piñas, Molino, Calamba)
• University of the Philippines Los Baños
• University of the Philippines Manila (including office work)
• St. Paul College, Pasig

7.1-Magnitude Earthquake Hit Japan's Northeastern Coast, July 10, 2011

A tsunami warning was again prompted for the Northeastern coastal part of Japan as a 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit that part of the country on Sunday morning July 10, 2011, around 9:57 AM.

It was the same area devastated by tsunami last March 11 when an 8.9-magnitude earthquake hit the coastal area.

Residents were advised to evacuate as the 7.1-magnitude quake felt earlier could generate a tsunami.

They surely wouldn't want the March 11 tragedy to repeat itself.

Typhoon Falcon

After Typhoon Egay, which made my Mt. Kalisungan climb very difficult last June 8th, another Low Pressure Area (LPA) has entered the country. PAGASA says it will be called Typhoon Falcon if the LPA develops into a tropical depression.

The weather bureau expects the LPA to turn into a tropical cyclone by Tuesday afternoon. It is reported to be stronger and wider in scope than Typhoon Egay.

So hard to go backpacking when it's raining. And I'm planning to go to Buntot Palos tomorrow, that is, if it's not raining so hard. Google says water level in Buntot Palos gets incredibly high when it's storming.

photo: pagasa.dost.gov.ph

5.7-Magnitude Quake Rocks Mindoro (May 23, 2011)

A 5.7-magnitude earthquake has rocked the Philippines a while ago, May 23, 2011 at exactly 12:42 AM. The epicenter was 18 kms. N 2° W of MAMBURAO (OCC MINDORO).

Reported Intensities:
Intensity IV - Ilijan, Batangas
Intensity III - Tagaytay City; Malate, Manila; Puerto Galera; Alabang, Muntinlupa; Clark,Pampanga
Intensity II - Malolos, Bulacan
Intensity I - Nichols, Pasay

I am in Taguig and was sleeping when it happened so I don't know if it was felt here. Did you feel it?

via phivolcs.dost.gov.ph

Myanmar (Burma) Hit By a Magnitude 6.8 Earthquake

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake hit Myanmar (Burma) on Thursday night, March 24, 2011. It was felt as far as 479 miles away in Bangkok, Thailand

The epicenter was reported to be in a relatively rural part of the country that borders on China, Laos, and Thailand.

Unlike the recent earthquake in Japan, the Myanmar earthquake poses very little risk of creating a tsunami because the epicenter is so far inland.

A screenshot from earthquake.usgs.gov:

The Philippine Azkals, who are currently in Yangon, Myanmar for the AFC Challenge Cup group qualifying tournament, were reported to be in the 9th floor of a hotel building when the earth shook. Anton Del Rosario tweeted he even thought it was vertigo. Luckily they are all safe as per report by sportscaster Dyan Castillejo who is currently with the Azkals in Myanmar.

The Azkals were also in Japan during the March 11 earthquake. They spent a number of days there to practice in cold weather before they headed to Mongolia for the second leg of their pre-qualifying match.

As Anton Del Rosario joked in the same tweet, could the earthquake really be following them?

Magnitude 5.7 Earthquake Hits Luzon

Every netizen was perhaps busy checking Twitter for live updates on the Philippine Azkals and Myanmar's White Angels when a magnitude 5.7 earthquake rocked parts of Luzon including Metro Manila. PhiVolcs said the quake was recorded at 6:37 PM (March 21, 2011) with epicenter at 12 km northeast of Lubang Island in Mindoro

Just a day before, a magnitude 6.9 quake also hit Northern Luzon.

The quake happened almost the same time when James Younghusband scored a goal against Myanmar that every football fan was joking he caused the earthquake. Another joke was that every Filipino cheered and jumped at the same time causing the earth to shake. (The match was a draw, btw, with both teams scoring 1 goal each.)

The earthquake was felt at:

Intensity IV: Manila City; Marikina City; Talisay, Batangas; Tagaytay City;
Intensity III: Quezon City; Alabang; Makati; Taguig; Malabon; Bacoor, Cavite; Lubang Island;San Jose, Mindoro Occidental; Abra de Ilog; Calapan, Mindoro Occidental;
Intensity II: Lucban, Quezon; Plaridel, Bulacan; Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija; Baguio City.

A friend of mine, who lives in a high rise condo in Makati immediately Tweeted she panicked and couldn't think of what to do while the building was swaying. But another friend who works at Mall of Asia says she felt it but it was so weak that other people at the mall didn't even know there was an earthquake.

Being in Taguig which was reported to have felt an intensity 3 earthquake, I didn't feel anything while inside our home. I only learned of the quake on Twitter when GMA News tweeted about it.

It's actually a good thing I wasn't inside a high rise building when it happened. I bet I'd also panic and would forget about the earthquake how-to's I'd been taught while being swayed by the building I was in.

I guess there's nothing else we could do at these times of calamities but pray. As I always say, prayers work wonders.

13-Foot Tsunami Hits Japan's Northeastern Coast After a Magnitude 8.9 Earthquake

The northeastern cost of Japan was hit by a magnitude 8.9 earthquake Friday. The said earthquake triggered fire and unleashed a 13-foot tsunami that swept buildings, cars, boats, and lots of debris inland.

The video below (uploaded by ABC Action News about 41 minutes ago) shows boats and cars being swept away by a strong current of water.

Several injuries and the death of at least one person were reported in Tokyo, which is several kilometers away, where the buildings shook through the magnitude 8.9 earthquake and the massive aftershocks that followed.

Tsunami warnings are issued for Guam, Philippines, Marshall Islands, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Micronesia and Hawaii.

Meanwhile, the Philippines' National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has issued Alert Level 1 in Batanes , Cagayan, Isabela, Quezon, Albay, Sorsogon and some parts of Visayas. Phivolcs says that tsunami generated by quake in Japan will take 4 hrs to reach the Philippines. Tsunami may hit the country between 5-7 PM.

Fortunately, though, Phivolcs announced that the Philippines will not experience earthquake related to today's earthquake in Japan.

Let's all pray for the safety of our brothers in Japan, as well as for the safety of our country. There's nothing more powerful than prayers that will help us in times of disaster such as this.