BY VICTOR REYES and NOEL TALACAY
AUTHORITIES are implementing pre-emptive evacuation of residents in flood- and landslide-prone areas in several regions in the Visayas and Mindanao as they brace for the landfall of “Odette” which intensified into a typhoon yesterday.
Several areas in the Visayas and Mindanao were placed under storm signal warnings No. 1 and 2.
Odette is expected to make landfall this afternoon or tonight in the Caraga region area or Eastern Samar province in the Eastern Visayas region, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
As of 4 p.m. yesterday, Odette was some 485 kilometers east of Hinatuan in Surigao del Sur. It was moving westward northwestward at 25 kph with maximum sustained wind of 130 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 160 kph.
Ricardo Jalad, executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), said the identified high-risk areas are Region 8 (Eastern Visayas), Region 7 (Central Visayas), Region 6 (Western Visayas), Mimaropa (Region 4-B) and Caraga (Region 13).
He said the pre-emptive evacuation operations were being implemented in all the risk areas except Mimaropa.
He also said Odette’s winds may destroy structures made of light materials, uproot trees, and topple electric posts while its rains may led to flooding and landslides, “that is why we are carrying out preemptive evacuations.”
“It’s typhoon level level so that’s going to be destructive,” he added.
Jalad urged the residents in areas identified as flood and landslide-prone to go to evacuation centers designated by the local government units. He reminded evacuees to observe minimum public health standards amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the new Omicron variant.
NDRRMC operations chief Joe-mar Perez said Region 10 (Northern Mindanao) and Region 12 (Soccsksargen) were also classified as high-risk areas.
Perez said regions classified as high risk areas were directed to activate the “Charlie protocol” which he said is the highest emergency and response level of preparedness.
In a press briefing yesterday afternoon, Perez said several regions continue to effect pre-emptive evacuation.
Areas under signal No. 2 were Signal No. 2 Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Camiguin, Southern Leyte, Camotes Island, northeastern part of Bukidnon, eastern portion of Misamis Oriental and Bohol, central part of Leyte, and the southern portions of Eastern Samar, Samar, and Leyte.
Signal No. 1 was up over Catanduanes; Camarines Sur; Albay; Sorsogon; Masbate; Marinduque; Romblon; Biliran, Cebu, Siquijor, Negros Oriental; Negros Occidental; Guimaras; Iloilo; Antique; Capiz; Aklan; northern Samar; the rest of Eastern Samar, Samar, Leyte, Bohol, Misamis Oriental, and Misamis Occidental; southern portion of Quezon and Oriental Mindoro; central portions of Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, and Bukidnon; northwestern Bukidnon and Zamboanga del Norte; and northern portions of Palawan, Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Lanao Del Norte, Zamboanga de Sur, and Lanao del Sur.
READY FOR ‘ODETTE’
Perez said the Western Visayas region has provided “conservative data” on the number of evacuees in Capiz province.
“As for the other regions, our (NDRRMC) operation center is continuing with its coordination to get the data as to how many families or individuals were pre-emptively evacuated. The (evacuation) effort is ongoing based on our coordination with our regional offices this morning,” he said.
OCD-Caraga director Liza Mazo said said pre-emptive evacuation was ongoing in Surigao del Sur and Surigao de Norte provinces and Dinagat Islands.
She also said food supplies for evacuees have been prepositioned.
“The challenge our LGUs are facing is the conduct of pre-emptive evacuation because we have a pandemic. Our evacuation should be done properly. Before, we can put several families in a room; we can’t do that now,” she said.
Anthony Damalerio, f the Bohol provincial disaster risk reduction and management (PDRRM) office, said personnel from national and provincial agencies are on alert and relief goods have been prepositioned.
Damalerio said they expect the entire province will be affected by Odette. Citing information from the local PAGASA, Damalerio said the province will be placed under signal No. 3.
Dinagat Islands PDRRM officer Ryle Elago said, “Last Sunday, we activated our emergency operations center and then our governor led a pre-disaster assessment and then today, we’re doing pre-emptive evacuation.”
Surigao del Norte PDRRM officer Marilyn Pono said, “We started yesterday and it’s continuing as of now. We will do force evacuation if people will not evacuate.”
Surigao del Sur Gov. Alexander Pimentel said about 2,000 residents have been pre-emptively evacuated in Tagdag City as of yesterday morning. He said evacuation is also being done in other parts of the province but could not immediately give figures.
Northern Samar PDRRM officer Rei Josiah Echano said the local National Food Authority has readied for rice stocks that can sustain residents for the five to six days.
He also said about 800 personnel from the PNP, Army, and local disaster units have been placed on standby for search and rescue operations, while the provincial health office also put on standby some 300 nurses and 20 midwives.
Eastern Samar PDRRM officer Josefina Titong said, “Our relief goods, rescue vehicles are ready.”
PAGASA said heavy to intense with at times torrential rains are expected today and tomorrow in Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, northern portion of Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, the northern portion of Agusan del Sur, Camiguin, Misamis Oriental, Southern Leyte, Bohol, Cebu, Siquijor, Negros Oriental, and Negros Occidental.
Leyte, the southern portions of Eastern Samar and Samar, Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique, Guimaras, the northern portion of Zamboanga del Norte and the rest of Caraga will experience moderate to heavy with at times intense rains.
Light to moderate with at times heavy rains will occur in the Bicol region, the rest of Zamboanga del Norte, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, and the rest of Visayas and Northern Mindanao.
Tomorrow, Odette will continue moving generally westward and cross several provinces in Central and Western Visayas regions before emerging over the Sulu Sea.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it has distributed some 33,000 food packs and P5 million worth of funds for disaster response operations to areas within the typhoon path. This is in addition to a standby fund of P87 million, including P19.678 million of Quick Response Fund (QRF), P224 million worth of family food pack or around 365,706, P215.92 million worth of food items, and P423.697 million of non-food relief items.
“The DSWD is also coordinating with local government units, which are the first responders in the occurrence of natural and man-made calamities,” it said. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
