Habagat dampens the country
The Typhoon with international name Noru is still outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).
At 4:00 AM, it was located 1,595 km East Northeast of Basco, Batanes. Noru has winds of up to 165 kph and gustiness of 205 kph, moving northwest at 13 kph. It is expected to hit the landmass of Southern Japan.
Although the weather disturbance had no direct effect on the country, it intensified the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat that is now affecting the western section of the country.
Today, cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms will be experienced in Metro Manila and the regions of Ilocos, Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol, Eastern and Central Visayas, Caraga and Zamboanga Peninsula. Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorm will prevail over in the rest of the country.
The rainy weather has also prompted the cancellation of classes in some areas. LIST: bit.ly/2uTwl2a
Blessed with Bamboo
No calamity can destroy our resiliency as Filipinos. A famous line from the speech choir entitled “The Resiliency of a Filipino” states that we are survivors “for we are as pliant as a bamboo.”
Bamboo Basics
Bamboo can thrive in almost any type of soil, growing rapidly and reaching maturity in three to five years. It does not demand too much water because of its culms or rhizomes, which absorb and store water during the rainy season, and later provides it to the plant during the dry season. This tree-like grass is known for its flexibility, endurance, and versatility.
Eco-Friendly Bamboo
Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo created the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC) issuing Executive Order No. 879 on May 14, 2010. This requires public elementary and secondary schools to use bamboo for at least 25% of their desk furniture. Bamboo is also a priority raw material in building government facilities.
Out of the 1,000 species of bamboo on the planet, 49 grow abundantly in the Philippines. Once considered the “poor man’s lumber” is now called by many as the “green gold.” To help Filipinos fully utilize bamboo, the Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI) developed equipment that creates bamboo products fit for international trade.
BAMBOO VENEERS
Veneers are thin sheets of bamboo that are glued together to form panels, either by hot or cold pressing, conditioned for 3 days and laminated before they are converted into decorative floor tiles or table tops. Instead of costly plywood, these are more affordable and enduring.
BAMBOO FLATTENING MACHINE
This machine is designed to produce flattened bamboo that can be a substitute for manually-made “crushed bamboo”. Flattened bamboo can be made into furniture and flooring products for export.
HIGH-PRESSURE SAP DISPLACEMENT APPRATUS (HPSDA) FOR TREATING BAMBOOO CULMS
This apparatus uses pressure to introduce a water-borne preservative into the wood or bamboo to prevent the material against the attack of fungi and insects.
BAMBOO KILN DRYER
Since export materials only require 10 to 12% moisture content, this equipment can artificially dry stacked bamboo in a chamber where conditions can be regulated. Drying time ranges from 3 to 5 days.
According to Dr. Ma. Cecile B. Zamora, Senior Science Research Specialist of the FPRDI, the bamboo industry in our country is still in its fledging stage because the available resources are not enough. “We need to plant more bamboo because technology is just waiting to make different products. The challenge is the assurance of the raw materials for sustainability.”
The Philippines has a big potential in supplying the growing demand for eco-friendly alternatives to wood to conserve the world’s remaining forests.
The FPRDI is open to all interested organizations or firms who want to know the techniques and principles of bamboo processing and utilization.
Storm-free start for August
After a week of consecutive weather disturbances, the country welcomes August storm-free.
According to PAGASA Weather Forecaster Meno Mendoza, Tropical Storm Huaning is now outside the Philippine Areas of Responsibility (PAR). After making landfall in mainland China, it has weakened into a Low Pressure Area.
However, a tropical cyclone outside PAR continues to enhance the Southwest Monsoon. At 4:00 AM, Typhoon Noru was at 1,760 kilometers east-northeast of Basco, Batanes. It has maximum winds of 170 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of 210 kph. It is not expected to enter PAR but is causing the Southwest Monsoon to affect the western section of Northern and Central Luzon.
Today, cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms will be experienced in the regions of Ilocos, Cordillera and the provinces of Zambales and Bataan. Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms will prevail in Metro Manila and the rest of the country.
As Habagat prevails, a gale warning is in effect in the northern seaboard of Northern Luzon including Batanes, Calayan, Babuyan, and the northern coasts of Cagayan and Ilocos Norte.
AUGUST OVERVIEW: 2-4 Tropical Cyclones Ahead
This month, weather systems associated with rainy weather will still prevail. These include:
Intertropical Convergence Zone – refers to an area in the atmosphere where clouds are formed from the convergence of winds coming the northern and southern hemispheres. It can be a breeding ground of weather disturbances.
Low Pressure Area – an area in the atmosphere with a lower atmospheric pressure than its surroundings. Low pressure areas could usually develop into a tropical cyclone.
Tropical Cyclone – The general term for a cyclone or bagyo, this weather disturbance is classified into four depending on its maximum sustained winds: tropical depression, tropical storm, typhoon and super typhoon.
Southwest Monsoon – characterized by warm and moist air, the southwest monsoon or Habagat speeds up cloud formation. Once enhanced by a tropical cyclone, the Habagat can bring heavy downpour, which may cause floods in the western section of the country.
Ridge of High Pressure Area – an extended part of an anti-cyclone that suppresses cloud formation, causing lesser chance of rains or fair weather condition.
Localized Thunderstorms – During warm days, heat speeds up evaporation and creates more clouds, which may dump moderate to heavy rains. Thunderstorms usually occur in the afternoon or evening, and last for one to two hours.
Two to four tropical cyclones are expected to develop within or enter PAR, which can hit or miss the country’s landmass.