ILOILO City – The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) placed Western Visayas on red alert.
Tropical Storm “Agaton” intensified further on Sunday over the waters of Guiuan, Eastern Samar. It packed maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 105 kph while moving west-northwest at 10 kph, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
During a Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment (PDRA) meeting with the provincial and city DRRM councils over the weekend, RDRRMC activated the “Charlie protocol” – the highest emergency preparedness and response protocol (EPR).
This was because Western Visayas was deemed at “high risk” thus immediate action was needed to mitigate the storm’s possible impact especially on barangays prone to rain-induced flooding and landslides.
“Some of the response clusters are now activated such as the Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM), Protection, Food and Non-food items (FNFI), Law and Order, Logistics, and Health,” said Melissa Banias, Operations Section chief of the Office of Civil Defence (OCD) Region 6.
OCD-6 heads the RDRRMC.
Other clusters – such as the Search, Rescue, and Retrieval (SRR), Management of the Dead and Missing (MDM), Education, Emergency Telecommunications, Shelter, and Philippine International Humanitarian Assistance (PIHAC) – are on standby.
Banias said work and/or class suspension are recommended under the EPR and pre-emptive evacuation in communities should be conducted as the need arises.
According to Pagasa-Iloilo Meteorologist Ferdinand Rubin Jr., “Agaton” is forecast to remain almost stationary from Saturday until today (Monday) or would move slowly over the waters of Eastern Visayas.
Due to the erratic nature of its movement, landfall over coast of Eastern Samar is possible, he added.
Rubin further said “Agaton” may begin turning generally eastward today or Tuesday as it interacts with incoming tropical cyclone “Malakas” (international name) which may enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) late Monday or early Tuesday.
So far, no gale warning has been hoisted over Western Visayas but Pagasa-Iloilo advised the public, especially those residing near the shoreline, to remain vigilant and for fisherfolks to refrain from venturing out to sea.
MORE BARANGAYS WARNED
According to Engineer Mae Magarzo, chief of the Geosciences Division of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Region 6, 3,873 barangays (up from the previous 363) in the region are most likely to be affected by rain-induced landslides and flooding, based on the Rainfall Accumulation Forecast released at 2 a.m. on Saturday.
Most of these barangays are in the province of Iloilo (1,828), Negros Occidental (613), Antique (571), Capiz (445), Aklan (324), and Guimaras (92).
In fact, Magarzo said, there were already reported flooding in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental and Sigma, Capiz.
There was also moderate flooding in Barangay 4, Sipalay City, Negros Occidental on April 7 but this
Magarzo reiterated MGB’s recommendation to monitor moderate slopes to avoid repeated flooding in coastal areas and flash flood areas, monitor the quarry/mining areas, clear water ways, and temporary stop caving activities./PN
