PRESIDENT Aquino made sure on Wednesday all hands are on deck, double checking preparations by government agencies concerned in anticipation of Typhoon Chedeng that is expected to hit Luzon later this week.
Aquino assured that steps have been taken to mitigate Chedeng’s impact when it makes landfall in Aurora and Isabel even as typhoon trackers predicted it could eventually weaken.
“Every department is expected to be prepared,” Aquino told reporters, adding that apart from the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of Transportation and Communications is also closely monitoring the weather situation to be able to provide timely advise to ships still out at sea.
Once a typhoon signal is raised anywhere in the country, he said, “prevented na ang ships from sailing.”
At the same time, Aquino reported that the Department of Social Welfare and Development had also assured him that it “has already prepositioned” relief goods, particularly in Isabela and Quirino provinces.
The President, however, disclosed that Science Secretary Mario G. Montejo, who is keeping track of the typhoon, had just updated him that there is yet no need to convene the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), headed by Secretary Alexander Pama.
Aquino said Montejo informed him that Chedeng, that has been classified as a super typhoon, is still “out of the country presently.”
“Sabi niya: ‘Mister President, Typhoon Chedeng’s strength is almost super-typhoon status but it is expected to weaken before entering the Philippine Area of Responsibility [PAR] and making landfall between Aurora and Isabela, which is expected on Saturday,’” Aquino said, adding Montejo assured he would be provided regularly with the weather updates.
Montejo, Aquino said, is not yet recommending that the President convene a crisis committee meeting. “If I may, sir, I would not yet recommend for you to convene a meeting. Sir, I believe the regular NDRRMC meeting would suffice. We’ll regularly give update especially if conditions worsen than expected,” Aquino quoted Montejo as saying.
The President, instead, instructed Montejo, to “please keep him [Aquino] posted especially as developments happen, especially if they worsen.”
Military ready
MILITARY units in Luzon and the Visayas went on red alert on Wednesday afternoon, hours before Chedeng was expected to enter the country even as the National Police activated its disaster-response plan.
Red alert was raised at around 1 p.m. on Wednesday by the Armed Forces chief of staff, Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang, after the same alert status was ordered by the NDRRMC for disaster-response units around the country.
The NDRRMC also advised local officials to activate their evacuation plan and implement force or mandatory evacuation of residents living in flood-prone and low-lying areas that will be directly hit by the typhoon.
Catapang’s order covered the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command, Southern Luzon Command, Central Command and Joint Task Force National Capital Region.
“The Disaster Response Operations teams under the aforementioned major units are placed on standby to support the local government and the Office of the Civil Defense for possible humanitarian and disaster-relief missions in calamity-affected areas,” Catapang said.
All other unified commands of the military are on blue alert as Chedeng was expected to enter PAR on Wednesday evening or early morning Thursday, according to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.
Power facilities secure
THE country’s largest power-distribution utility and the grid operator separately said on Wednesday that they are well prepared to respond to the challenges that may result from Chedeng.
Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is on alert and is gearing all its efforts to prepare its systems and personnel.
“As a 24-hour service company, we are committed to respond to these types of emergency. Our crews are on standby to attend to any trouble that may affect our facilities in areas that might be hit by the typhoon,” Meralco Senior Vice President and Head for Customer Retail Services and Corporate Communications Alfredo S. Panlilio said.
Panlilio added that Meralco has put in place necessary measures to mitigate the possible impact of the typhoon. The company, for example, has issued advisories on the appropriate precautionary measures to take before a typhoon. “Meralco, for instance, has consistently requested billboard owners and operators to temporarily roll their billboards up to prevent these structures from being toppled by the strong winds,” Panlilio said. Billboards that fall into electrical facilities are among the main reasons for power outages whenever there are strong typhoons.
Meanwhile, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) has started implementing the necessary preparations and precautions to minimize the impact of Chedeng on power-transmission operations and facilities.
The power-grid operator and transmission service provider will activate on April 2 its North and South Luzon Regional Command Centers and District Command Centers.
Unicef gears for Chedeng
THE United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) is ready to support the government with prepositioned emergency supplies from its local warehouses in Manila, Tacloban and Cotabato once Chedeng hits the country.
“In times of disasters, children face the risk of disease outbreaks, malnutrition, violence and disrupted education. Our priority is to ensure that children and their rights and welfare are protected before, during and after disasters,” Lotta Sylwander, Unicef Philippines representative, said.
Unicef has prepositioned essential supplies that include water kits, hygiene kits, water-purification units, school tents, student and teacher materials, child-friendly space tents, medical supplies, nutritional therapeutic food items to combat malnutrition, oral rehydration salts, tarpaulins and generators for at least 10,000 families.
The UN organ has staff members on standby in Manila, Tacloban and Cotabato City ready to be deployed in rapid assessments as soon as it is safe to travel.
With Rene Acosta and Lenie Lectura