ligan City (September 14)– Mayor Celso Regencia has declared the whole city under ‘alert and monitoring status’ and directed all barangays to conduct preparation measures and install constant monitoring and warning alerts.
All Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committees (BDRRMCs) and its corresponding Barangay Disaster Operation Centers (BDOCs) in the city were also directed to be activated.
This even if the city is not yet included in the identified areas where typhoon signal was raised by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Association (PAG-ASA).
“Extra measures are recommended for barangays along rivers, along the coastlines and those in the low-lying areas,” Regencia said in its directive issued Thursday morning.
PAGASA administrator Vicente Molano said there is still a possibility that it will reach the super typhoon category.
“All constituents of the city are directed to regularly monitor advisories and updates from the city mayor’s office through Iligan City Radio Stations, Emergency Communication Center and the Internet. The people are also advised to take precautionary measures against the impacts associated with these hazards which include flashfloods and landslides,” Regencia added.
The Provincial Government of Misamis Oriental canceled classes in daycare and elementary level of five municipalities of the province as of 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon, Thursday. These municipalities include Lagonglong, Salay, Binoangan, Jasaan and Initao.
“These areas experienced intermittent but heavy rains,” said Fernando Vicente Dy, director of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) of Misamis Oriental.
Dy said the PDRRMO will continue to monitor as typhoon Ompong has entered the Philippine area of responsibility on Wednesday, growing in diameter from 600 kilometers on Tuesday to 900 km and prompting more areas to take precautionary measures.
The Misamis Oriental’s disaster office has activated and prepared its quick response team for easy quick deployment while the Provincial Social Welfare and Development have also readied its emergency packs if evacuation will be enforced.
In Cagayan de Oro City, eight elementary and high schools have also suspended their classes. These are Balubal Elementary and High Schools, Cugman Elementary and High Schools, Malasag Elementary School, Canitoan National High School, Lapasan National High School, Cagayan de Oro National High School, Carmen National High School, and Patag National High School. -dmsuson/NewsLine
