BY GLENDA TAYONA and IME SORNITO
ILOILO City – Western Visayas is not in the path of typhoon “Ompong” (international name: “Mangkhut”) but 44 local government units (LGUs) in Western Visayas suspended classes in all levels both in public and private schools yesterday. An enhanced southwest monsoon could drench the region with rain.
In the island-province of Guimaras, 44 families (for a total of 151 individuals) in the islet of Sitio Unisan, Barangay Guiwanon, Nueva Valencia town temporarily moved to an evacuation center in nearby Barangay Cabalagyan.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), “Ompong” is some 900 kilometers wide and would make a landfall this morning in northern Luzon.
Down below, Western Visayas, Palawan, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, and Caraga would have moderate to heavy rains due to the southwest monsoon enhanced by the typhoon.
As of 3 p.m. yesterday the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) listed the following LGUs to have cancelled classes:
* Lambunao, Miag-ao, San Dionisio, Oton, Tigbauan, San Joaquin, Dumangas, Alimodian, Maasin, Tubungan, New Lucena, Guimbal, Zarraga, Leganes, Pavia, Barotac Nuevo, Mina, Leon, Bingawan, Santa Barbara, Calinog, and Igbaras in Iloilo
* Iloilo City
* Moises Padilla, Himamaylan, Toboso, and Cauyan in Negros Occidental
* Tibiao, Patnongon, Caluya, Belison, Barbaza, Hamtic, Laua-an, and Patnongon in Antique
* Nueva Valencia and Jordan in Guimaras
* President Roxas, Pilar, Maayon, Ivisan, Pontevedra, Panit-an, Cuartero, Pan-ay, Dao, and Sigma in Capiz
The Department of Social Welfare and Development Office (DSWD) has stockpiled 31,000 packs of relief goods ready for distribution if needed.
The Police Regional Office 6 and Philippine Army, on the other hand, are making their vehicles available for emergency response.
In case national roads and bridges become impassable, the Department of Public Works and Highways said it would deploy personnel and equipment for clearing.
In Antique for example, Noemi Tagle of the Antique Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office said they were maintaining a skeletal force until Sunday together with the Provincial Engineering Office. This was pursuant to Executive Order 141 issued by Gov. Rhodora Cadiao. The skeletal force would be reporting from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Also yesterday, Cadiao declared a half-day suspension of work for the 1, 200 employees of the provincial government due to the monsoon rains.
Meanwhile, people stranded at seaports due to the cancellation of boat trips should be provided with basic provisions such as pot able water and food packs, according to the Philippine Ports Authority.
“Ompong”, Pagasa said in its afternoon bulletin yesterday, was still packing maximum sustained winds of 205 kph near the center and gusts of up to 255 kph./PN
