Superstorm to linger for 5 days Cagayan, Batanes brace for ‘Betty,’ typhoon in PAR until Wednesday

By Rio N. Araja, Vince Lopez, Julito G. Rada, Charles Dantes, Joel E. Zurbano, Alena Mae Flores, and Darwin G. Amojelar

THE country’s northernmost provinces are bracing for the world’s strongest storm this year as Super Typhoon Mawar—named “Betty”locally —entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility early Saturday morning and is forecast to linger in this zone for five days or until Wednesday next week.

Although it is not projected to make landfall on the Philippines, at its closest point the storm could lash Cagayan and Batanes with