BY GLENDA TAYONA, IME SORNITO & DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
ILOILO City – Local government units (LGUs) and concerned government agencies in Western Visayas are bracing for the second typhoon to possibly enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) between Friday evening, May 26, and Saturday morning, May 27.
Yesterday, all members of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) convened with the provincial and city DRRMCs to discuss preparations.
Tropical Cyclone “Mawar” weakened from super typhoon to typhoon yesterday morning, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (PAGASA) Sam Duran.
But LGUs are not leaving anything to chance. They had pre-disaster risk assessment.
In Iloilo City, Mayor Jerry Treñas, despite being on official travel in South Korea, instructed city DRRMO head Donna Magno to call for a meeting of concerned offices such as the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), City Engineer’s Office, and City Environment and Natural Resources Office, among others, to prepare for the typhoon.
“It is better to be prepared. Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon (acting mayor) is also briefed of all preparations,” he said through a text message.
In Iloilo province, an emergency blended meeting with the Provincial DRRMC was called yesterday for a resource capability assessment.
Provincial Administrator Raul Banias, on behalf of Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr., wanted the province’s assets and logistics positioned to ensure immediate response if needed. Additional rice and relief goods will also be purchased.
Dr. Jerry Bionat, chief of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), presented the status of evacuation centers being constructed, that of schools as well as updates on the construction of purok resilient shelters and operations hub.
In Antique, Gov. Rhodora Cadiao also instructed concerned offices, especially the Provincial Social Welfare and Department Office and PDRRMO, to do the necessary preparations.
This includes prepositioning 1,000 family food packs. They also have 220 sacks of rice and 700 packs of five-kilogram rice from Office of the President.
Residents in low-lying and landslide prone areas are advised to be alert and prepared, Cadiao said.
In Negros Occidental, several LGUs have begun preparing, too. Bacolod City’s Mayor Alfredo Benitez and Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran held a meeting with the CDRRMC.
CDRRM officer Dr. Anna Maria Laarni Pornan presented their Pre-Disaster Readiness Assessment Emergency Preparedness.
Village officials have already been advised to prepare their response teams, food supplies, evacuation centers, transportation and logistics.
In Himamaylan City, Mayor Raymund Tongson called for an emergency meeting on Tuesday with the city’s disaster officials, city police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Coast Guard Station Southern Negros Occidental, and the CSWDO.
They are aiming to safeguard lives, minimize damages, and enhance overall disaster resilience in the city.
The municipal government of E.B. Magalona, meanwhile, posted the town’s emergency hotline numbers on its official social media page.
It also advised residents to have a basic disaster supply kit or “bug out bag.” The bag should contain important items such as three-day worth of food, drinking water, first aid kit, spare batteries, phone chargers, and small tool kits.
Typhoon “Mawar” is forecasted to track generally north northwestward in the next 12 hours and is expected to traverse over the Philippine Sea.
Once it enters the PAR on Friday evening or Saturday morning, it will be named “Betty.” It would be the second storm to enter the PAR this year and the first for this month.
Depending on the proximity of “Mawar” to northern Luzon during the recurvature period, rainbands may affect Cagayan Valley between Sunday and Tuesday. In this case, possible strong to gale-force conditions and hoisting of tropical wind signal is not ruled out.
Enhanced monsoon rains over the western portions of MIMAROPA, Visayas, and Mindanao are expected beginning Friday and Saturday and over the western portions of Southern Luzon and Visayas on Sunday onwards.
‘Mawar’ is far from Iloilo’
Residents, meanwhile, do not have to worry because Typhoon “Mawar,” will not have a direct impact on the province, said Bionat.
“According to the forecast of PAGASA, it will not even have a landfall,” Bionat said in an interview with Panay News yesterday morning.
The typhoon’s path of entry is going to the Northern Luzon area due to the southwesterly wind flow that will not affect Iloilo or even Region 6.
He explained that the average diameter of a typhoon is only 500 kilometers, but Typhoon Mawar’s distance is more or less 2,500 kilometers from its forecasted path.
Scattered rains, however, could be felt in some parts of the province, particularly in northern Iloilo composed of the towns of Barotac Viejo, Ajuy, Concepcion, Sara, San Dionisio, Batad, Lemery, Balasan, Estancia, San Rafael, and San Dionisio, Bionat said.
“Ang matabu lang sina mangin mabaskug lang ang hangin kay gina-enhance sia pero indi sa aton but rather sa Bicol region. Siguro makabatyag lang kita sang pag-ulan-ulan pero indi man ina mamunog ukon mabaskug,” said Bionat.
Earlier, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos ordered LGUs to brace for the entry of Typhoon “Mawar.”
The DILG chief said LGUs, especially those in areas prone to landslides or floods, should implement critical preparedness actions, including supply and equipment prepositioning.
Abalos said they are aiming for zero casualty nationwide with proactive and preventive measures.
“We need to brace ourselves and get ready to avoid casualties and other damages expected to be brought about by this potential weather disturbance,” he added.
For his part, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian said yesterday that there are sufficient relief goods already prepositioned in areas that may be hit by “Mawar.”
“We have prepositioned goods everywhere in the country…but then again, they say the path (of typhoon) can change. So what we have done is we have augmented the stockpiling of food packs up north,” Gatchalian said, noting that they are paying close attention to the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon eastern seaboard.
For their part, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) commandant, Admiral Artemio Abu, instructed the district commanders to be alert and prepared.
He also ordered PCG personnel to inspect all types of vessels departing ports and inform fishermen to monitor the changes in the weather to avoid maritime incidents.
Search and rescue teams were placed on standby in case of inland flooding. (With a report from https://www.philstar.com)/PN
