LAOAG CITY – Inter-government quick response teams in Apayao province continue to reach out to families who have evacuated due to Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami) as of Thursday.
Jocelyn Loyon, head of Apayao’s Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, in a statement said there is a total of 483 affected families, composed of 1, 661 individuals.
“Of the 483 affected families province-wide, at least 162 families or 516 persons have been served,” she said.
As of this posting, 35 evacuation centers across the province are being used as temporary shelters for affected families who were pre-emptively evacuated due to their susceptibility to flooding and landslides.
Most of these families are living in the low-lying areas of Calanasan, Conner, Flora, and Kabugao towns.
Before Kristine made a landfall in Isabela province, Apayao Governor Elias Bulut Jr. had already ordered the local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices (DRRMOs) in the provincial, municipal, and village levels as well as other concerned government offices to prioritize the welfare of residents.
This resulted to early prepositioning of food packs, medical aids, and activation of quick response teams for the immediate delivery of relief and rescue actions to affected families.
According to the PDRRMO, at least five houses were partially damaged. No casualty was reported so far.
Meanwhile, lawyer Constante Foronda, chief of the Isabela PDRRMO, in a radio interview Thursday, said there was a minimal impact on Divilacan town, Isabela, where Kristine made a landfall around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, except for some uprooted trees.
“Mahina ang pag-ulan at mahina ang hangin. Hindi po malala ang sitwasyon. Malamang nabasag ng Sierra Madre ‘yung lakas ni Kristine (There was moderate rain and wind. The situation is bearable. It was probably because Kristine’s strength was dampened by Sierra Madre),” he said, referring to the country’s longest mountain range.
Over the years, the Sierra Madre, which stretches around 500 kilometers, continues to shield the island of Luzon from the worst typhoons that form in the Pacific Ocean. Its rugged mountain slopes are believed to mitigate strong winds, and the thick forests have helped absorb heavy rains. (PNA)