MANILA, Philippines – Like two dancers swirling around each other, Typhoon “Mina” Monday slammed into Isabela and Aurora provinces -- as Tropical Storm “Lando” turned around and headed back toward the Philippines, aiming for the Southern Tagalog region.

"Lando" (international codename: Hagibis) weakened as it moved closer to northwest Palawan and Mindoro Island on Tuesday morning, after reentering the country's area of responsibility, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

At 4 a.m., the eye of "Lando," which packs maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour near the center, was spotted 200 kilometers west northwest of Puerto Princesa City.

Moving east northeast at 19 kilometers per hour, "Lando" was forecast to be at 60 kilometers southeast of Calapan City on Wednesday morning, 130 km northeast of Daet, Camarines Norte on Thursday morning and 490 km east of Casiguran, Aurora on Friday morning.

Public storm signal No. 2 (60-100 kph winds) remains hoisted over the Batanes and Babuyan Group of Islands while storm signal No. 1 (30-60 kph winds) is still in force over Cagayan, Apayao, Ilocos Norte, the Mindoro provinces, Romblon, Lubang Island, Marinduque, Batangas, Palawan, and Calamian Islands.

Meanwhile, typhoon "Mina" (international codename: Mitag) has weakened into a tropical storm as it blew away from the Luzon mainland after passing over the northeastern provinces, PAGASA said.

At 4 a.m., the eye of "Mina," which packs maximum sustained winds of 75 kph near the center with gusts of up to 90 kph, was located 50 kilometers west northwest of Basco, Batanes or 260 km north northeast of Laoag City.

"Mina" left 10 people dead, two others missing, and forced 141,863 people to evacuation centers in the Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, and Bicol, where it was first forecast to make landfall.

The storm made landfall in Palanan town, Isabela province at 9 p.m. Sunday. "Mina" pulled "Lando" back to the country in a weather phenomenon known as the "Fujiwara effect."
PAGASA Director Prisco Nilo explained that under the "Fujiwara effect," a strong storm influences the movement of a relatively weaker storm.

This condition happens when two storms rotate on almost opposite positions at a single point.

"Mina" was forecast to be at 300 kilometers northeast of Basco, Batanes or 210 km south of Okinawa, Japan by Wednesday morning; 670 km northeast of Basco or 340 km east of Okinawa on Thursday morning and 1,060 km northeast of Basco or 690 km east northeast of Okinawa on Friday morning.

With Lando’s bizarre return, thousands of evacuees who had gone back home in the Bicol Region after Mina passed, headed back for evacuation centers to avoid Lando’s renewed onslaught, relief officials said.

As if the two storms were not enough, another low pressure area has also formed east of the Philippines, with the prospective name of “Nonoy.”

Lando swirled back to the Philippines at about 9 a.m. Monday after menacing Vietnam. It reentered the country the same way it left last Wednesday -- through the western part.

Lando killed 14 people in the Visayas in its first rampage last week.

Metro Manila will continue to experience cloudy weather with rainshowers, the PAGASA said.

It is rare for a storm like Lando to swing back to the country, PAGASA weather branch chief Nathaniel Cruz said.

It would be even more rare if the low pressure area spotted east of the country Monday should also enter the Philippine area and join Mina and Lando at the same time, Cruz said.

“There is a low pressure area that has the potential to strengthen. If it enters the country, it will be named Nonoy. It’s possible we will have three storms in the Philippine area of responsibility,” he said.

Forecasters recalled that another storm a few years ago had also made a turnaround and hit the country after making an initial exit.

It is not strange for the Philippines to suffer storms in deadly succession.

In November 2004, after Typhoon “Unding” battered the country, Tropical Depression “Violeta” passed over. Five days later, Typhoon “Winnie” struck, followed by still another typhoon.

The return of Lando sent 6,000 people flooding back to evacuation centers from lahar- and flood-prone areas in Bicol.

As of 6 p.m., the NDCC said a total of 88,317 families, or 399,033 persons, had been evacuated in 11 provinces in regions 2, 3, 4a and 5 affected by Mina.

A substantial number of the evacuees have gone back home, mostly in Bicol.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said the government’s preparedness lessened the damage brought by Mina and Lando. But he stressed the need for vigilance while the two storms had not yet exited the country.

At least two people drowned when water levels rose in rivers in Apayao and Cagayan on Sunday and Monday due to strong rains spawned by Mina, reports gathered by the Inquirer showed.

A landslide damaged a section of the Patapat Bridge in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, making it impassable to all types of vehicles, the provincial disaster coordinating council (PDCC) said.
Floods also hit low-lying villages in Apayao, Isabela, Cagayan, Pangasinan and Aurora.

The Office of Civil Defense in the Cordillera said Santos Sabedra, 78, drowned in Conner town when his house near the swollen Apayao River was washed away by a strong current.
Two other Conner residents -- Reiner Abawag, 2, and Felipe Abawag, 65 -- were missing after their house was also swept away.

In Cagayan, Junjun Rebilledo, 20, drowned while he was crossing the Pared River, police said.

Landslides, power outages

Power outages occurred in Cagayan and Isabela. In Apayao, a landslide isolated the capital town of Kabugao.

Flooding swamped several villages in Conner, Flora, Sta. Marcela, Luna and Pudtol towns, also in Apayao.

Landslides and rising water levels forced the evacuation of 1,443 families in Apayao and nearby Kalinga, OCD said.

Rains have not yet breached the critical dam levels of Binga and Ambuklao Dams in Benguet, and the San Roque Dam in Pangasinan.

Authorities opened a gate each in Binga and Ambuklao as a precaution to prevent an uncontrolled overflow from the dams.

In Isabela, floodwaters submerged at least 55 villages in Ilagan and Tumauini. More than 100 families in the coastal town of Dinapigue were evacuated.

Power supply in several towns in Isabela was cut off on Sunday night but was restored on Monday morning.

Several villages in 14 towns in Cagayan were flooded, and Gov. Alvaro Antonio suspended classes and work in government offices.

Horses in raincoats

Strong winds toppled trees and knocked down power poles, cutting off electricity in Cagayan.

“We were just one or two weeks away from harvest time. I’m afraid we’ve lost everything to the flood and strong winds,” Antonio said.

In Baguio City, the threat of three converging storms spoiled the outdoor launching of the city’s Yuletide activities on Monday.

Undaunted, local officials and hotel executives came out in suits and gathered at the City Hall to open Christmas activities and announce preparations for the 2008 Baguio Flower Festival (Panagbenga).

At Wright Park, horses rented out to tourists were forced to wear makeshift raincoats to protect them from the rains.

Kennon Road was closed to traffic, although no landslide was reported.

In Aurora province, 428 families remained in evacuation centers. Evacuees from 15 villages in San Luis, Dingalan, Dilasag, Dipaculao, Casiguran and Dinalungan towns sought shelter in barangay and municipal halls, schools, and farmers training centers.

In Pangasinan, the water level at the San Roque Dam in San Manuel town reached 278.8 meters, less than two meters below its spilling level of 280 meters.

Water from the dam

The PDCC asked residents in Calasiao, Sta. Barbara and Alcala towns to be on the alert in case water is released from the dam.

“In Cagayan, our main problem was the flashfloods,” said Dr. Anthony Golez, NDCC spokesperson.

Golez said the Philippine Army’s 5th Infantry Battalion responded to rescue calls in Piat, Rizal, and Tuao in Cagayan because of the flashfloods.

Golez said 6,000 people who were evacuated after Mina threatened to hit the eastern seaboard region were sent home after the typhoon changed its path.

But they were brought back to evacuation centers in the face of threat from Lando.

The official NDCC death toll from Mina stood at 10.

For the fourth consecutive day, airliners canceled domestic flights to typhoon-threatened areas.

These included an Asian Spirit flight to San Fernando City, La Union, a Cebu Pacific 11:50 a.m. flight to Laoag, an Air Philippines flight to Tuguegarao and a Philippine Airlines flight to Laoag.

International flights were unhampered. Reports from Cristina Arzadon, Villamor Visaya Jr., Estanislao Caldez, Vincent Cabreza, Yolanda Sotelo-Fuertes, Gabriel Cardinoza, Anselmo Roque and Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Northern Luzon; Tarra Quismundo in Manila; and Associated Press