BY MAE SINGUAY and RANIE AZUE
BACOLOD City – This city is “fully prepared” for the impact of typhoon “Ompong”, Mayor Evelio Leonardia said on Thursday.
Leonardia met with the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office on Wednesday for a briefing on the preparations.
Ambulances and rescue vehicles of the city government are prepared to transport possible casualties and evacuees, he said.
The Department of Education’s Division of Bacolod City assured that schools are ready to be used as evacuation centers, said Leonardia.
Negros Occidental, on the other hand, is on “heightened alert status.”
Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. issued a “Code Blue Alert” to make all city and municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils ready for deployment in case of emergencies.”
Marañon said Negros Occidental expects heavy rains although it is not on the path of the typhoon.
Local governments must put in place precautionary measures for possible flooding, landslide or flash floods, he said.
In addition the governor raised a “Code White” alert in all provincial government-run hospitals to make medical personnel on standby.
“Ompong” (international name: “Mangkhut”) was 575 kilometers east northeast of Virac, Catanduanes, stated a 5 p.m. bulletin that the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) released on Thursday.
The storm was packing maximum sustained winds at 205 kilometers per hour with gusts at 255 kph, the Pagasa said.
It was moving west northwest at 25 kph and expected to make landfall along the northeast section of Luzon between Thursday night and Saturday.
Several areas in Luzon were placed under tropical warning signal No. 1./PN
