LOCAL DISASTER units in this city and Negros Occidental have stepped up preparations for the possible onslaught of tropical storm Auring this weekend.
Executive Assistant Jose Maria Vargas, cluster head for City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), said on Thursday that based on the weather forecast, Bacolod would be on the path of “Auring” by Sunday, although this still could change.
“I’m set to meet with the city’s disaster response cluster for preparation of the team that will handle the operations,” he said in a radio interview.
Vargas said the city’s disaster response plan remains in place and will just be activated once needed, including the coordination with the barangays, as well as the deployment of those in-charge of rescue, evacuation, and distribution of relief goods.
On Wednesday, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson directed the chairpersons of the City and Municipal DRMM Councils in Negros Occidental to initiate proactive preparedness in their respective localities.
“You are to place your respective operations on heightened alert. All district hospitals are also advised to raise heightened alert to ensure preparedness,” Lacson said in a memorandum.
He directed the DRRMCs to take appropriate precautionary actions for possible flooding, flash floods, or landslides as well as ensure waterways are clear of obstruction, review contingency plans, and mitigate possible disaster risk.
In Negros Occidental, areas in the north have been experiencing massive floods due to heavy rains in the past several weeks since Jan. 1, displacing thousands of families and causing millions of damage to agriculture and infrastructure.
As of 11 a.m. on Thursday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said in its advisory that “there is an increasing likelihood of heavy rainfall affecting the Visayas and several other areas over the weekend through Monday”.
“Residents in these areas and all DRRMOs concerned, especially those situated in areas identified in hazard maps to be highly or very highly susceptible to flooding and rain-induced landslides, are advised to take appropriate preparatory measures,” it added. (By Nanette Guadalquiver)
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