Report and Disseminate the Information Regarding

the Serious Disaster

Tropical Cyclone MAWAR (BETTY), Philippines

May 2023

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Republic of the Philippines; Department of Agriculture (DA). The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA)

References:https://ahacentre.org/flash-update/flash-update-no-01-tropical-cyclone-mawar-betty-philippines-27-may-2023/

https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/asean-weekly-disaster-update-week-22-29-may-4-june-2023

https://ndrrmc.gov.ph/attachments/article/4231/SitRep_No_12_for_TC_BETTY_2023.pdf

https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/dswd-dromic-report-11-sty-betty-mawar-04-june-2023-6pm

https://pubfiles.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/tamss/weather/bulletin_betty.pdf

Regarding the situation report from the ASEAN Disaster Monitoring and Response System (DMRS), on 27 May 2023, Super Typhoon MAWAR (Local name: BETTY), equivalent to a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) maintaining the moving west-northwestward at 30km/h with maximum sustained winds of center and gustiness of up to 240 km/h. The Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal (TCWS) no.1 was raised over the eastern portion of Cagayan including Babuyan and Camiguin Islands and the eastern portion of Isabela.

On 28 May 2023, BETTY maintained its strength while moving over the Philippine Sea east of Luzon. TCWS no. 2 was raised over Batanes, the eastern portion of Babuyan Islands (Babuyan, Camiguin, Didicas, Pamuktan Islands), and the northeastern portion of mainland Cagayan (Santa Ana) on 29 May 2023. BETTY further weakened while moving slowly over the sea east of Batanes and was weakened into a severe tropical storm as it continued to move northward. BETTY steadily weakened and now was already outside the PAR.

According to the situational report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) as of 5 June 2023, the number of casualties was 1 dead due to a lightning strike (for validation) and 1 injured from being struck by a fallen tree. The affected population was 27,121 families or 104,305 persons. Damage to infrastructure in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) amounted to PHP 68,695.58 while the damage and losses to fisheries in Burcay, Abra (CAR), and Ilocos Region amounted to PHP 133,000 the affected commodity was fisheries (Tilapia and Pond).

Regarding the countermeasures or policies to encounter this situation, the Department of Agriculture (DA), particularly the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Operations Center, DA Regional Field Offices, and concerned DA Bureaus, Attached Agencies and Corporations, have done the following:

-          Activation of DA DRRM Operations Center

-          Submission of situation reports, specifically agricultural areas

-          Continuous dissemination of localized advisories to Agricultural Program Coordinating Offices (APCOs), LGUs, farmers, and fisherfolk

-          Prepositioning of available seed reserves for rice, corn, and assorted vegetable seeds, drugs and biologics for animals, and fish stock and fishing paraphernalia for fisheries.

• The Department has issued early advisories prior to "BETTY", which resulted in an early harvest of rice and corn in CAR, Regions I, II, III, and V

-          Close coordination with the Department of Science and Technology, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-PAGASA), as well as other regional DRRM-related offices, and Local Government Unit counterparts regarding the monitoring of BETTY

-          Available interventions are ready to be distributed to farmers and fishers to be affected by the disaster:

• DA-Agricultural Credit Policy Council's Survival and Recovery (SURE) Loan, small farmers and fisherfolk affected by BETTY may avail with the loanable amount of up to PHP 25,000 payable in three years at zero interest
• Quick Response Fund (QRF) for the rehabilitation and recovery of affected areas

Until now, there have been no reports regarding any external assistance or support received from the governments of other countries in terms of international support.

As BETTY continued to move away from Philippines, the Southwest Monsoon will become the dominant rain-causing system in the country within the day. Under these conditions, flooding and rain-induced landslides were possible, especially in areas that were highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards as identified in hazard maps and in localities that experienced considerable amounts of rainfall for the past several days. However, the combined rains brought by BETTY and the enhanced Southwest Monsoon are generally beneficial to the land preparation activities in the agriculture sector.

BETTY was reported to have left PAR at 4 pm on Thursday, June 1. According to DOST-PAGASA, it was forecast to make landfall or pass very close to Okinawa Island on the night of 1 June and may weaken throughout the forecast period due to the lower sea surface of the sea surrounding the Ryukyu Islands.

Download the word file, Click here  ----->  AFSIS Tropical Cyclone MAWAR (BETTY), Philippines