Typhoon Hagupit, PAGASA on COA, HK protesters surrender | The wRap

Today on Rappler.

• Typhoon Hagupit is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility Thursday.
• Weather authorities cry foul on reports alleging PAGASA is incapable of properly warning the country against storms.
• 3 Occupy Hong Kong leaders surrender.
  

BIG CHANCE TYPHOON HAGUPIT WILL HIT PH – PAGASA
State weather bureau PAGASA says there is a big chance Typhoon Hagupit, local name Ruby, will make landfall this weekend in the Visayas.
Hagupit is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility Thursday with winds up to 160 km per hour and gustiness of up to 190 km per hour.
Disaster officials dismiss fears Hagupit will be as strong as typhoon Haiyan or Yolanda.
But Hagupit will be strong enough to cause storm surges, destroy crops, and blow away houses made of light materials.
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad says the government has P4.7 billion set aside for disaster response.

‘ILL-EQUIPPED’ AGENCY? COA AUDIT STORY ‘MISLEADING,’ SAYS PAGASA OFFICIALS
Weather officials cry foul over reports alleging PAGASA is can’t do storm warnings properly.
Project NOAH executive director Mahar Lagmay says the information used by broadsheet Philippine Daily Inquirer is “outdated, wrong and misleading.”
PAGASA’s Flaviana Hilario calls the report “demoralizing” to those who work for the weather bureau.
The Commission on Audit or COA report focused on the storm surge warning system developed by PAGASA and Project NOAH worth at least P80 million.

FIRST BATCH OF PH PEACEKEEPERS COMPLETES EBOLA QUARANTINE
The first batch of 133 Filipino peacekeepers from Ebola-hit Liberia are now allowed to go home after completing their 21-day mandatory quarantine.
None tested positive for the Ebola virus but one soldier tested positive for malaria, while another developed hypertension.
The military will hold a belated heroes welcome for the peacekeepers Thursday.

HONG KONG PROTEST FOUNDERS SURRENDER
The original founders of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement surrender to authorities in a symbolic move meant to take the protests off the streets.
This comes days after protesters clashed with police Sunday, leaving dozens injured.
Occupy Central leader Benny Tai urges other protesters to retreat too.
Dozens of supporters carrying yellow umbrellas accompanied the three leaders.
The trio quickly emerged from the station, saying they had not been arrested despite admitting to “participating in unauthorised assembly”.

BAGUIO: CULTURAL GATEWAY AND BRAND
Apart from the cool weather, pine trees and strawberry fields, what is Baguio City?
Filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik says Baguio is the melting pot of Western development and the indigenous culture of the highlands.

KIDLAT TAHIMIK, FILMMAKER: Baguio is unique. Yung cosmopolitan mindset ng foreigners, ng Americans when they set up Baguio as a hill station, and that mixed with the indigenous mindsets of the Cordillera people.

But Tahimik says the rapid development of Baguio is a case study in the world’s fight against global warming.

KIDLAT TAHIMIK, FILMMAKER: Baguio has gotten so big that it has ignored those “preno” systems. Such as cutting pine trees. Kaya ngayon umiinit na dito sa Baguio. There’s the case of a mall cutting down 182 trees for parking spaces. This is a microcosm that’s happening. Kaya umiinit ang mundo. It causes typhoons like Yolanda.

Travel author Frank Cimatu says Baguio is a brand associated with happy memories, which giving it lasting power.

FRANK CIMATU, TRAVEL AUTHOR: Well it’s a brand. The broom diba, nobody makes it hear, but it’s always “made in Baguio.” My relatives in the US, whenever they use that broom, they think of happy thoughts. They think of Baguio.

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Production Staff