CITY OF MALOLOS—The Sierra Madre mountain ranges had spared Bulacan from the wrath of typhoon Pepito, officials said.
Bulacan Provincial Disaster Risk Recuction Management Office (PDRRMO) chief Manuel Lukban Jr. said in a report on Monday that the track of super typhoon Pepito moved upward with its eye found to hit the Sierra Madre mountain range that caused its effect in the province including in Metro Manila to weaken.
The Signal No. 3 that were hoisted in the City of San Jose del Monte, the municipalities of Angat, San Miguel, Norzagaray, San Ildefonso, San Rafael and Dona Remedios Trinidad (DRT) had been lowered down to Signal No. 2 as a result of the movement of the track of typhoon Pepito.
Only slight to moderate rains have been experienced in the said areas and the rest of the province on Sunday.
Lukban said based on the data from the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) and analysis made by Bulacan weather experts, the Sierra Madre mountain ranges had prevented the typhoon from hitting the said mountainous towns and city in Bulacan.
The said hilly and elavated areas are exactly situated in the Sierra Madre Mountain ranges of Bulacan.
“Ang dagliang pagtaas ng direksyon ng mata nito kaninang umaga ay nagresulta ng pagtama ng bagyo sa bulubundukin ng Sierra Madre na siyang lubos na nagpabawas ng lakas ng ulan at hangin sa buong Lalawigan ng Bulakan,” (The sudden upward movement of the eye of the typhoon this morning caused the typhoon to hit the Sierra Madre mountain ranges which had strongly caused to weaken the downpour and winds in the whole of the province of Bulacan), Lukban said in the report.
Signal No. 2 were hoisted in the rest of the towns and cities in the province on Sunday including the flood-prone low-lying and coastal areas but because of the believed breakage of the typhoon caused by the Sierra Madre mountains, all the typhoon signals have been removed by Pagasa as of Monday morning, as thypoon Pepito had already completely weakened.
It is a party cloudy and sunny in Bulacan on Monday but wih no rains.
Sierra Madre mountain ranges had been known as a storm barrier in the eastern side of Luzon particularly from typhoons coming from the Pacific Ocean.
Gov. Daniel Fernando who called for an emergency meeting on Saturday and ordered a preemptive evacuation in landslide-prone areas including in the low-lying and coastal towns in the province to ensure the safety of everyone said the weakening of typhoon Pepito because of the Sierra Madre mountain ranges was also the result of prayers of each and every Bulakenyo.
The governor had also urged his constituents to continue their prayers to keep the province and the rest of the country safe with the reported expected other typhoons to hit the country in this approaching year end.
The moderate rains brought by typhoon Pepito however increased to more than 1 meter the elevation of Angat Dam as it was recorded at 201.26 meters above sea level (masl) on Monday from 200.89 masl on Sunday.
Various groups and individuals through social media posts uttered prayer of thanks to God and also have expressed their appreciation and acknowledgment of the protection made by the Sierra Madre mountain ranges.
