OPS 22 JUNE 2008

Partial Transcript of PGMA Teleconference from San Francisco, California, USA with the National Disaster Coordination Council (NDCC) based in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City (June 22, 2008)

…ON TO ROMBLON AND THEN ON TO MINDORO AND THE SUCCEEDING … YESTERDAY MORNING, MADAM PRESIDENT, AT 11 O’CLOCK,  WE AGAIN MADE ADJUSTMENTS BECAUSE … THE TYPHOON WOULD BE MOVING MORE OR LESS TOWARDS THE BATANGAS- SOUTHERN QUEZON AREA.    PGMA YESTERDAY, I WAS WITH …   YES MA’AM, YES MA’AM… PGMA AT 12:30  AND I THINK IT WAS IN BATAAN AND MINDORO.   THAT WAS NOT 11 AM  AND WE MADE ADJUSTMENTS…  ANOTHER… IT’S TOWARDS MINDORO, MA’AM, AND IT WAS IN THE FOLLOWING  BULLETIN, AND THE NEXT BULLETIN ISSUED EARLY IN THE MORNING, THIS MORNING RATHER, MA’AM, EARLY THIS MORNING… PGMA ALSO BEFORE WE LEFT?   SO WE MADE AGAIN SOME ADJUSTMENTS BECAUSE DATA WOULD INDICATE THAT IT WILL BE HEADING  TOWARDS BATANGAS OR CAVITE AND SOUTHERN QUEZON; AND SO WE GAVE THE PREDICTED PATH  TO PASS THROUGH THAT AREA,  AND THEN PASS THROUGH TO THE EAST OF METRO MANILA AREA AND HEAD TOWARDS PANGASINAN,  CROSSING CENTRAL LUZON. AND THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, MA’AM.   PGMA WHERE’S THE EYE NOW?    AS OF 10:00 O’CLOCK, MA’AM, THE EYE OF THE TYPHOON IS AT THE VICINITY OF  CLARK IN PAMPANGA, AND IS TO BE EXPECTED TO BE OVER PANGASINAN EARLY THIS AFTERNOON, MA’AM. PGMA OKAY.   …HAS BEEN REDUCED TO 120 KM PER HOUR FROM… PGMA …WHAT IS THE STRONGEST?   THE STRONGEST IS 150 KM PER HOUR. SO FAR, MA’AM, IT WOULD BE IN LUZON MAINLAND. THE HIGHEST REGISTERED INITIAL DATA INDICATE THAT THE HIGHEST REGISTERED IS 120 KM PER HOUR.      PGMA IN THE WHOLE PATH, WHAT IS THE HIGHEST?   170 KM PER HOUR IN ROXAS. PGMA OKAY. SO THE HARDEST HIT IS ROXAS?   YES, THAT’S CORRECT, MA’AM. AND SO IT IS PREDICTED TO MOVE IN NORTH-NORTHWEST DIRECTION AT 15KM PER HOUR. PGMA SO IT HAS PASSED MANILA ALREADY?   YES, MA’AM, BUT WE ARE STILL AFFECTED BECAUSE THE TYPHOON IS QUITE BIG SO WE ARE STILL EXPERIENCING SOME GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAINS IN THE METRO MANILA AREA; AND SIGNAL NO. 3 IS UP IN BATANGAS, LAGUNA, CAVITE, RIZAL, NORTHERN QUEZON, SOUTHERN AURORA, BULACAN PAMPANGA, TARLAC, PANGASINAN, ZAMBALES, BENGUET, LA UNION, BATAAN AND METRO MANILA; AND SIGNAL NO. 2 IS UP IN THE PROVINCES OF MINDORO,  INCLUDING LUBANG ISLAND, MARINDUQUE, BONDOC, POLILIO ISLAND AND THE REST OF AURORA, QUIRINO, NUEVA VIZCAYA, IFUGAO, MT. PROVINCE AND ILOCOS SUR; AND SIGNAL NO. 1 IN CALAMIAN GROUP IN NORTHERN  PALAWAN, ROMBLON, CAMARINES NORTE, ISABELA, CAGAYAN, APAYAO, ABRA , KALINGA AND ILOCOS NORTE.          PGMA STILL MOVING PA UNTIL NOW?   STILL QUITE SLOW, MA’AM, AT 15 KM PER HOUR. PGMA SAME AS YESTERDAY?   YES, MA’AM, YES, MA’AM. AS FAR AS THE MAJOR DAMS IN LUZON, AS OF 10:00 O’CLOCK THIS MORNING, IPO DAM IN BULACAN OPENED ITS GATES AND IT’S SPILLING ABOUT 9 CUBIC METERS PER SECOND. EXCESS WATER FROM IPO DAM IS NOT TOO MUCH, MA’AM, AND ALL THE OTHER DAMS -- ANGAT, SAN ROQUE, BINGA, AMBUKLAO… PGMA RELEASING WATER FROM THE DAMS  IS NOT ALSO A…?     NO, MA’AM, IT’S NOT REALLY SIGNIFICANT. THE VOLUME BEING SPILLED BY IPO DAM AND ALL THE OTHER DAMS IN MAJOR DAMS IN LUZON STILL HAVE ENOUGH… TO ABSORB FLOOD WATERS CAUSED BY THE TYPHOON. PGMA OKAY.   AND WE HAVE ISSUED THE APPROPRIATE ADVISORY DOWNSTREAM OF IPO DAM AS WELL AS THE ENTIRE PAMPANGA WATER BASIN JUST IN CASE THERE WILL BE FLOODING, MA’AM. PGMA OKAY.     ... IN SUMMARY, TYPHOON FRANK PASSED THE NEAREST DISTANCE. IT PASSED METRO MANILA, WAS 20 KM TO THE EAST AT AROUND 4 O’CLOCK OR 4:30 THIS MORNING.  PGMA (INAUDIBLE)   TO THE EAST OF METRO MANILA, MA’AM. IT DID NOT ACTUALLY… THE CENTER DID NOT ACTUALLY PASS OVER METRO MANILA. PGMA SO, WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS THE EYE…    THE EYE, MA’AM. AND, AS I’VE SAID, THE INITIAL DATA AVAILABLE AS FAR AS METRO MANILA IS CONCERNED --  REGISTERED AT OUR STATION IN THE AIRPORT -- IS 100KM PER HOUR. WE WILL BE EXPECTING IN AREAS SOUTH OF THE LOCATION OF THE TYPHOON THAT THE SOUTHWEST MONSOON OR ‘HABAGAT’  WOULD STRENGTHEN AND CAUSE A LOT OF RAINS AND THAT THERE MAY BE A CHANCE FOR A STRONG STORM TO OCCUR IN THE WESTERN COAST OF CENTRAL LUZON AND THE WESTERN COAST OF NORTHERN LUZON, MA’AM.    PGMA SO THEY ARE NOW OUT OF DANGER OF STORM SURGE. OKAY. GOOD, GOOD, GOOD. SO NOW WE HAVE TO GIVE OUT  A WARNING FOR CENTRAL LUZON ?   YES, MA’AM, BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBLE FLOODING… IN AREAS COVERED BY THE PAMPANGA RIVER BASIN, WE HAVE ALREADY ISSUED THE APPROPRIATE ADVISORY, MA’AM, AS I’VE INDICATED EARLIER, AS WELL AS THE POSSIBILITY OF LANDSLIDES IN THE MOUNTAINOUS AREAS OF CENTRAL LUZON, INCLUDING QUEZON PROVINCE, AS WELL AS THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF CORDILLERAS, MA’AM. THERE’S THE POSSIBILITY OF LANDSLIDES IN THOSE AREAS BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY RAINS. AS FAR AS SEA TRAVEL IS CONCERNED, THE SORSOGON TO SAMAR… THE SIGNALS HAVE BEEN LIFTED SO SEA TRAVEL CAN RESUME, BUT FOR THE ALBAY, CATANDUANES (ROUTES), WE STILL HAVE STORM SIGNALS SO SEA TRAVEL CANNOT RESUME ALONG THAT ROUTE, MA’AM.      PGMA SO THE VESSEL LEFT EVEN AFTER THE WARNING. SO THEY LEFT MANILA FRIDAY.   YES, MA’AM, WE  WERE PROJECTING THE TYPHOON WAS GOING TOWARDS SOUTHERN LUZON AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE SHIP, THAT THE DESTINATION WAS CEBU, MA’AM.  PGMA IS THERE A VIOLATION OF THE WARNING?   WE HAVE THE COAST GUARD REPRESENTATIVE HERE, MA’AM. PGMA  WHEN DID YOU ISSUE THE WARNING AND WHEN  DID THEY  LEAVE MANILA?   COME AGAIN, MA’AM? PGMA SULPICIO…?   YES MA’AM, BECAUSE WE WERE PROJECTING THAT THE TYPHOON WAS GOING TO… TOWARDS SOUTHERN LUZON. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE SHIP WAS THE… THE DESTINATION WAS CEBU, MA’AM. PGMA …ON THE WARNINGS?   …WE HAVE THE COAST GUARD REPRESENTATIVE HERE, MA’AM… PGMA WHEN DID YOU ISSUE THE WARNING AND WHEN DID THEY LEAVE MANILA?   AS EARLY AS ON WEDNESDAY, MA’AM, WE HAVE ALREADY INDICATED THAT THE TYPHOON WOULD BE MOVING TOWARDS SOUTHERN LUZON, MA’AM. PGMA THE WARNING OF NO-SEA TRAVEL?   YES, MA’AM, YES MA’AM. SIGNALS HAVE ALREADY BEEN RAISED MA’AM… PGMA LAST WEDNESDAY?   YES MA’AM, THAT’S RIGHT.   MADAM PRESIDENT, THE COAST GUARD COMMANDANT ARNEL TAMAYO IS GOING TO BE ON LINE, MA’AM… PGMA OKAY. TAMAYO MADAM PRESIDENT, GOOD MORNING, MA’AM. PGMA … TAMAYO MA’AM. I’D LIKE TO INFORM YOU THAT THE VESSEL DEPARTED THE PORT OF MANILA WITH A SIGNAL NO. 1 HOISTED AND IT DID NOT VIOLATE ANY REVISED GUIDELINE ON THE MOVEMENT OF VESSELS, SINCE… PGMA IT DID NOT VIOLATE ANY GUIDELINES? TAMAYO YES MA’AM, IT DID NOT BECAUSE IT’S A BIG VESSEL, GROSS TONS IS 23,829 AND… PGMA …IT HAPPENED? TAMAYO MA’AM, THE REPORT THAT WE RECEIVED INITIALLY IS THAT THE VESSEL HAD DEVELOPED SOME ENGINE TROUBLE ALONG THE WAY AND WHICH RESULTED TO HER BEING DEAD ON WATER AND I SURMISE, MA’AM, THAT  THE SHIP WAS BUFFETED BY BIG WAVES WHICH LED  HER TO CAPSIZE  EVENTUALLY. PGMA WHEN THE WARNING HAPPENED… BUT YOU ISSUED A WARNING OF NO VESSELS, RIGHT.  HAVE YOU ISSUED A WARNING OF NO SMALL VESSELS, RIGHT? AND SO, NO SMALL VESSEL… TAMAYO MA’AM, THE REVISED GUIDELINES POINT TO THE FACT THAT THE WARNING IS GRADUATED IN THE SENSE THAT SMALLER VESSELS CANNOT… PGMA …YOU NEVER ISSUED THE WARNING AGAINST VESSELS? ALL VESSELS? TAMAYO WE DID MA’AM. WE DID GIVE THEM NOTICE OF THE ADVISORY, THE WEATHER ADVISORY AND… PGMA WHEN? TAMAYO ANO MA’AM… ALL VESSELS… WE GIVE THEM DAILY ACTUAL STORM SIGNAL, MA’AM. PGMA WHEN? TAMAYO FRIDAY, MA’AM.  FRIDAY NIGHT. PGMA OH WELL, FRIDAY…. IN MANILA? TAMAYO ACTUALLY, MA’AM, WE BROADCASTED THAT ALSO IN THE MEDIA, AND WE ANNOUNCED THAT THE VESSELS THAT ARE LESS THAN 1,000 GROSS TONS… ARE ACTUALLY BASED ON THE DISCRETION OF THE SHIPPING…  2,000 GROSS TONS,  MA’AM… PGMA WHEN DID YOU ISSUE THE ALL-VESSELS WARNING? TAMAYO WE ISSUED THAT, MA’AM, ALMOST EVERYDAY OCCASION…  MA’AM, WE ISSUE THEM… WE STARTED THAT, MA’AM, WAY BACK EVEN… PGMA …TO ALL VESSELS? ALL-VESSELS WARNING… TAMAYO YES, MA’AM, WE… THAT HAS BEEN ISSUED, MA’AM, ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS TO ALL VESSELS, MA’AM. PGMA WHEN NGA? WHEN DID YOU ISSUE THE WARNING THAT NO VESSELS  CAN GO OUT? THAT’S WHAT I MEAN. TAMAYO WE STARTED, MA’AM, ABOUT  2 WEEKS AGO BEFORE THE VESSELS  DEPART. PGMA WHO ISSUED THE ORDER THAT NO VESSEL CAN GET OUT? TAMAYO YES, MA’AM. WE TELL THEM.  WE TELL THEM WHICH VESSEL CANNOT GO OUT AT A CERTAIN STRONG SIGNAL, MA’AM PGMA WERE (THERE) NO VESSELS AT ALL (THAT) CAN GO OUT? DID YOU EVER ISSUE THAT WARNING, WHEN? TAMAYO AT 11:30, MA’AM, WE ISSUED THE WARNING.  11:30 AT NIGHT,  MA’AM. PGMA WHEN? TAMAYO AH.. IN MANILA… IN THE PORT OF MANILA, MA’AM. PGMA WHEN? TAMAYO AH, THAT’S LAST FRIDAY, MA’AM.  LAST FRIDAY. PGMA WAS THAT 11:30 AM? TAMAYO 11:30 AM, MA’AM. PGMA WHEN DID THE BOAT LEAVE MANILA? TAMAYO THEY LEFT MANILA AT 20:00 MA’AM, THAT IS 8 O’CLOCK PM,  MA’AM. PGMA OH, SO, WHY DID THEY (LEAVE) AFTER THE WARNING? TAMAYO YES, MA’AM, THAT THIS PARTICULAR VESSEL OF THAT SIZE,  MA’AM, CAN PROCEED… PGMA …WHEN? WHEN DID YOU ISSUE THE WARNING WHERE NO VESSEL AT ALL OF ANY SIZE CAN GO OUT? TAMAYO MA’AM , IN THAT PARTICULAR INCIDENT, MA’AM, VESSELS OF MORE THAN… PGMA …YOU NEVER ISSUED A WARNING THAT NO VESSELS CAN GO OUT? TAMAYO …. MA’AM, WE ISSUED THE WARNING AT 11:30 PM, MA’AM, BECAUSE THAT PARTICULAR VESSEL MA’AM IS NOT COVERED IN THAT PARTICULAR… PGMA I’M SAYING, WHEN DID YOU ISSUE THE WARNING OVER ALL VESSELS? TAMAYO YES, MA’AM, WE ISSUED (THAT) TO ALL VESSELS, MA’AM. PGMA WHEN? TAMAYO AH, FRIDAY, MA’AM, 11:30PM BUT… PGMA WHEN DID THEY GO OUT? TAMAYO 8…8 P.M., MA’AM. PGMA OKAY… NOW… WHERE WERE THEY ARE… ON 11:30… WHEN YOU ISSUED THE WARNING? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW… ONLY IN BATANGAS, THEY COULD HAVE SOUGHT SHELTER IN BATANGAS PORT?  TAMAYO ACTUALLY, MA’AM, WE DID NOT MISS ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS, ON ANY PARTICULAR INCIDENT ABOUT SHIPS LEAVING  THE PORT. THEY ARE ADEQUATELY COVERED BY THE GUIDELINES OF OUR… PGMA NO, YOU SHOULD HAVE  ISSUED  A  WARNING. TAMAYO YES, MA’AM, WE DID ISSUE THEM WARNING. ALL VESSELS,   MA’AM, WE ISSUED WARNING TO ALL VESSELS, MA’AM. PGMA … TAMAYO …HAS NOT ACTUALLY VIOLATED ANY OF OUR GUIDELINES MA’AM, BECAUSE… PGMA … TAMAYO … FROM PAG-ASA AT 11PM ONLY, MA’AM… PARTICULAR… PGMA AT 11PM? TAMAYO YES, MA’AM. PGMA … TAMAYO YES, MA’AM, BECAUSE… PGMA (INAUDIBLE) TAMAYO YES, MA’AM, THAT’S THE DISCRETION OF THE CAPTAIN.  BUT  AT THE TIME THAT SHE LEFT MA’AM, SHE HAS NOT VIOLATED  ANY OF OUR GUIDELINES BECAUSE HER SIZE PERMITS HER TO PROCEED, MA’AM.  THE SIZE OF 33,829 GROSS TONS,  MA’AM. PGMA … NIB Special Action Group/AVA (PND-OPS) Cabatuan.com - Timeline 2008 - Typhoon Frank