MANILA – Two persons were reported dead while 10 were injured due to the impact of Tropical Storm Enteng and the southwest monsoon (habagat), the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Monday.
In its 8 a.m. update, the NDRRMC said the reports of casualties, all from Central Visayas, were being validated.
It added that the bad weather has so far affected 14 families or 63 individuals from three barangays in Central Visayas. Of this number, nine families or 43 persons are being aided in an evacuation center.
The agency also reported the collapse of two structures and one rain-induced landslide in Central Visayas.
Some 739 passengers are reportedly stranded in various ports — 679 in Bicol and 60 in Calabarzon.
A total of 22 ships, four motor bancas, and 282 rolling cargoes stopped to leave the ports in Calabarzon and Bicol due to bad weather.
Around 10 houses were reported damaged in Central Visayas as of this time.
OCD to regions: Brace for Enteng
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD), meanwhile, instructed all regional offices to ensure that advisories and response measures were being effectively disseminated and implemented amid the onslaught of Enteng.
OCD administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno gave this order following a pre-disaster risk assessment meeting Sunday where NDRRMC members tackled the weather forecast, risk assessment results, anticipated needs, and other courses of action.
These include activating emergency preparedness and response protocols that government agencies and LGUs should conduct before and during the storm, elevating the NDRRM Operations Center’s alert status to “Red” and mobilizing various response clusters, among other measures.
Under a red alert status, OCD personnel must be on duty 24/7 to respond to calamities.
The OCD also assured close coordination with various government agencies to monitor the situation and ensure the implementation of necessary measures. (PNA)