MANILA – The government is on a 10-day alert for the impact of Typhoon Nika (international name Toraji) and two more tropical cyclones expected to hit the country this week, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla said.
“You can see the scenario: between Nov. 11 and 17, we will have three typhoons entering the Philippines, all on the same path,” Remulla said Monday. “So, between Marce and Pepito, that means four typhoons in 10 days, following the same trajectory.”
Once the two tropical cyclones enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility, these will be named Ofel and Pepito.
Remulla, who is also the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) vice chair, assured the public that all systems are in place.
Nika has made landfall at past 8 a.m. Monday in the vicinity of Dilasag, Aurora.
Remulla said 2, 500 barangays in Nika’s direct path — Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley and the Cordillera Administrative Region — have been advised to preemptively evacuate, even as government units are on standby.
“We have advised all the governors involved in the 2,500 barangays to be evacuated, especially those prone to floods and landslides,” Remulla said in a media briefing late Sunday.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development has prepositioned food packs and response facilities.
“The DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) has identified the barangays most prone to landslides and floods, and the response should be immediate,” Remulla said.
He warned that the likelihood of landslides is “very high and imminent” in the mountains of Regions 1 (Ilocos Norte), 2 (Cagayan Valley), and the Cordillera Administrative Region due to ground saturation from successive typhoons impacting these areas.
Meanwhile, Remulla also lauded members of search, rescue, and relief teams deployed amid the recent series of tropical cyclones.
“As far as I’m concerned, they are heroes already because of what they have been doing in the last month,” he added. “We must give them commendation and possible rewards and supplemental income for them.”
AFP on alert for ‘Nika’
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday said that it has disaster response units to ensure swift and coordinated assistance.
“These units, which include personnel and equipment specialized in search, rescue, and relief operations, are strategically positioned in high-risk areas to provide immediate support to communities affected by the typhoon,” AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said.
The AFP is monitoring the situation with local government units and the NDRRMC to assess needs on the ground, deploy necessary resources, and keep the public informed on safety protocols.
“Our commitment remains steadfast in safeguarding and assisting our countrymen, especially in times of disaster. We urge everyone to stay vigilant and follow advisories from authorities to ensure safety,” Padilla added.
PNP on alert
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it is on heightened alert, especially the Police Regional Offices (PRO) in areas affected by Nika and two more tropical cyclones expected to hit the country this week.
“All available mobility assets that are needed doon sa mga tatamaan like yung ating mga trucks, even yung mga rubber boats natin doon sa may mga coastal areas ay kasama yung sa ichi-check in ng PNP para makatulong tayo. While yung AFP yung lead agency pagdating sa search and rescue operations but since the PNP also have some of the equipment needed for relief, retrieval and rescue operations, i-check in din yun doon sa kanilang mga incident command posts (All available mobility assets that are needed in areas that will be hit, like our trucks, even our rubber boats in coastal areas are included in the checked in by the PNP so that we can help. While the AFP is the lead agency when it comes to search and rescue operations, but since the PNP also has some of the equipment needed for relief, retrieval, and rescue operations, we will check them in to their incident command posts),” PNP information chief and spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said in a press briefing at Camp Crame.
She said PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil instructions are to make sure that they have enough resources in terms of personnel deployment.
Fajardo said the PNP chief also instructed the commanders on the ground to ensure the welfare of the police officers and their families. (With a report from Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/PNA)