ILOILO City – The Western Visayas’ Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is on “red alert”. Tropical storm “Egay” (international name: Doksuri) has intensified into a severe tropical storm.
The Charlie Protocol has been activated as Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) protocol for the whole region.
As the highest EPR protocol, it enjoins all member agencies and local disaster risk reduction and management councils (DRRMCs) to submit their respective preparedness measures.
As of 11 a.m. yesterday, the combined effects of the southwest monsoon and “Egay” displaced 2,353 families (7,662 persons) in Negros Occidental. Of these, 82 families or 306 persons were served inside five evacuation centers (ECs) and 218 families or 848 persons were served outside ECs.
Moreover, 18 families or 79 persons were pre-emptively evacuated.
The 24/7 EOC is closely monitoring weather developments, consolidating reports, and coordinating with concerned agencies and stakeholders.
Several frontline clusters have been activated while one representative from concerned agencies has to render duty at the RDRRMC EOC starting 5 p.m. on July 22, said Ma. Aletha A. Nogra, regional DRRMC chairperson and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 6 officer-in-charge.
The following are the clusters:
* Camp Coordination and Camp Management and Food and Non-Food Items headed by Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 6
* Logistics headed by OCD-6
* Search, Rescue and Retrieval with the 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) of the Philippine Army, Bureau of Fire Protection, Tactical Operations Group 6, and Police Regional Office 6 as lead agencies
* Health headed by Department of Health (DOH) Region 6
DSWD-6 said it has enough food and non-food items (FNFIs) ready for relief augmentation.
Therese Fely Legaste, information officer of DSWD-6’s Disaster Response Management Division, said the region has P81.1 million worth of available relief goods and standby funds.
There are 54,218 family food packs worth P34.8 million. Others are non-food items worth P41.3 million and P5-million standby fund.
As of this writing, 42,994 food packs were prepositioned in the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental.
State weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) yesterday raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 over the Bicol region and Samar provinces as Severe Tropical Storm Egay intensified further.
In its 5 p.m. weather bulletin, PAGASA said “Egay” was located 560 kilometers east of Daet, Camarines Norte, packing maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center, with gusts of up to 135 kph.
Signal No. 1, where winds could damage structures made of light materials and break some trees, was hoisted over the following areas:
* Catanduanes
* Eastern portion of Camarines Sur (Garchitorena, Caramoan, Presentacion)
* Northern portion of Aurora (Casiguran, Dilasag)
* Eastern portion of Isabela (Dinapigue, Divilacan, Maconacon, Palanan, Ilagan City, San Mariano, Tumauini, San Pablo, Cabagan)
* Eastern portion of Cagayan (Santa Ana, Gonzaga, Lal-Lo, Gattaran, Baggao, Peñablanca)
* Northern portion of Eastern Samar (San Policarpo, Oras, Arteche, Jipapad)
* Eastern portion of Northern Samar (Lapinig, Gamay, Mapanas, Palapag, Laoang, Catubig, Pambujan)
“Egay” is expected to continue moving west northwestward or westward in the next 12 hours.
Although it is expected to remain offshore, PAGASA said a close approach of landfall in the vicinity of extreme Northern Luzon is still possible.
It is likewise forecast to reach typhoon category within 24 hours and may become a super typhoon on Tuesday. July 25.
“Egay” is also expected to enhance the southwest monsoon, which may bring occasional rains over Palawan, Occidental Mindoro, Romblon, Quezon, Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Misamis Oriental, and the rest of Visayas./PN
