LPA Enters PAR, May Intensify into Cyclone 'Kiyapo'

A low-pressure area (LPA) is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) today and may develop into a tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). PAGASA said that as of 4 p.m. yesterday, the LPA was located at 1,505 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas. Once the weather disturbance develops into a tropical cyclone, it will be given the name Kiyapo. Kiyapo will be the 11th tropical cyclone to enter PAR this year and the fourth this month. Earlier, PAGASA said the LPA was expected to enter PAR between yesterday afternoon and this morning. The country has yet to feel the effects of the LPA, which is expected to bring rain as it approaches the northern portion of the archipelago by weekend. Meanwhile, Western and Central Visayas, the Negros Island Region as well as Palawan and Mindanao will have cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms due to the southwest monsoon or habagat. Eastern Visayas will experience cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms due to the trough of the LPA. Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms to be caused by localized thunderstorms. The monsoon has dumped rain over the Angat watershed in the past few days, slightly increasing the dam’s water, although the elevation remained below the critical level. At 6 a.m. yesterday, the water level in Angat Dam was 152.15 meters and rose to 152.19 meters by 11 a.m., according to the Bulacan disaster risk reduction and management office. The elevation was 7.81 meters below the critical level of 160 meters. Malacañang yesterday gave assurance that the government is continuously working to ensure that water service providers are fulfilling their obligations, which is one of the issues mentioned by President Marcos in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last year. Palace Communications Officer Claire Castro said the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) is improving the delivery of water services by developing new water sources and expanding water networks. Castro said the LWUA is also undertaking projects to reduce non-revenue water including leakages for qualified water districts. “With regard to the water districts, the LWUA is ensuring that the obligations of the (joint venture) partners are fulfilled for the sake of our countrymen, and they have to be accountable if they violate their mandate or obligation,” Castro said at a media briefing yesterday. She said the LWUA monitors and examines the quality of service provided by water districts. During his fourth SONA last year, Marcos revealed that the government had received several complaints about households not having access to water services. Marcos said the problem affected six million consumers. He gave assurance that the LWUA is undertaking steps to address the subpar services of water districts and their joint venture partners. “The LWUA will ensure that the water services given to millions of our countrymen will be fixed and will be made affordable,” Marcos said. — Alexis Romero, Ramon Efren Lazaro