Bicol on red alert due to LPA

LEGAZPI CITY – The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council operation center in Bicol is on red alert, preparing for the possible impact of a low pressure area.

In a memorandum issued Sunday night, Claudio Yucot, Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-Bicol Director and Bicol RDRRMC chairperson, said under the emergency preparedness and response (EPR) protocols, the Bicol region is now placed under protocol Charlie or high-risk protocol.

Some of the national government agencies, as members of the response cluster, were activated to ensure continuous coordination.

These are the Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development for food and non-food items and camp coordination and management in case of evacuation, Department of Information and Communications Technology for emergency telecommunications, Police Regional Office-5 for law and order, and Joint Task Force Bicolandia for search, rescue, and retrieval operations.

Also included are the Department of Public Works and Highways for debris cleaning, the Department of the Interior and Local Government for management of fatalities and missing, and the OCD for logistics.

Yucot also asked the Coast Guard District Bicol and provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Offices to implement a no-sailing policy if necessary.

Meanwhile, the social welfare department in Bicol prepositioned a total of PHP177 million in non-food and food items.

A total of 112,499 family food packs, and non-food items of hygiene kits — 4,743; kitchen kits —4,961; sleeping kits —1,154; family kits —9,212; Ready-to-Eat Food Packs —12,100; other non-food items: 26,600.

DSWD Regional Director Norman Laurio assured the public that the agency is well-prepared, noting that aside from prepositioned ready-to-eat foods, two mobile kitchens are on standby for deployment to different ports across the region.

As of 3 a.m., the weather bureau said the low pressure area was spotted 365 kms. east of Maasin City, Southern Leyte.

The LPA has a small chance of developing into a tropical cyclone in the next 24 hours but it would bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms over Visayas, Bicol Region, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, and Quezon. (PNA)

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