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Heavy rains caused by tropical storm Helen that fell
on Metro Manila and parts of Luzon victimized even the powerful, as
a helicopter carrying Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro made an
emergency landing in Marikina City Monday morning.
Commodore Alex Pama, Teodoro’s
senior military assistant, said the Defense secretary together with
three other passengers and two pilots left Tarlac province around 11
p.m. and headed back to Manila.
While on their way, they were hit
by strong winds and heavy rains over the North Luzon Expressway,
forcing them to land at the Valeriano Fugoso Memorial School in
Parang district, Marikina City, at around 11:45 a.m.
Teodoro during a separate
interview said all the passengers and pilot were alright although he
admitted the incident was a learning experience.
“I’m used to such kind of
events, although there are some [that] got [me] nervous . . . the
pilots exercised their discretion and made a precautionary [landing]
. . . we just waited for the rain to clear,” the Defense secretary
added.
The Philippine Atmospheric,
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has raised
Signal No. 1 over Cagayan, Isabela, Batanes Group of Islands and the
Calayan Group of Islands. As of 4 p.m. Monday, Helen was spotted 320
kilometers East-Southeast of Basco, Batanes with maximum sustained
winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up
to 80kph.
The weather bureau said that
“Helen will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring
rains over Luzon,” and that residents in low-lying areas and those
near mountain slopes are advised on the dangers of possible
flashfloods and landslides.
Those living along the coastal
areas of Northern Luzon are also alerted against the big waves
caused by Helen.
Parts of Metro Manila were
flooded Monday because of the sudden downpour of the heavy rains,
causing floods in many roads which stranded thousands of commuters
and caused a traffic slowdown.
There were also brownouts in
parts of Metro Manila, but power was restored in many parts later in
the day.
--Jefferson Antiporda
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