QUEZON CITY (PIA) — All seven regions identified by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) as high-risk areas for the potential impacts of Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami) reported on Tuesday, Oct. 22, their high level of emergency preparedness.
During a virtual press conference on Tuesday afternoon, all seven high-risk regions already activated OCD’s “Charlie” protocol, the highest level of emergency preparedness.
Regions that activated the “Charlie” protocol include Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), Region 3 (Central Luzon), Region 4-A (Calabarzon), and Region 4-B (Mimaropa), Region 5 (Bicol), and Region 8 (Eastern Visayas).
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Monday, Oct. 21, said it activated the “Charlie” protocol—the highest level of emergency preparedness—in response to the feared impact of the storm in the following regions:
1. The Cordillera Administrative Region reported that as early as Saturday, Oct. 19, it directed the activation of the Charlie protocol across all local government units (LGUs).
It has a total cost of stockpile at P105,189,853, a total of 62,313 available family food packs (FFPs), and available non-food items worth 53,841,870.
The total cost of its available non-food items is P53,841,870, and its available standby funds are P2,999,920.
CAR has 1,085 active evacuation centers ready to accommodate evacuees.
2. The Cagayan Valley region focused its preparations in Batanes province, threatened by the heavy impact of Kristine.
The regional OCD provided window shutters for Batanes and, early on, prepared the evacuation centers in the province. It also implemented the “adopt-a-neighbor project” to lessen the congestion at evacuation centers.
The region’s concern at the moment is to replenish their food and non-food items that were used up when super typhoon Julian rammed through the region early this month.
3. Region 3 (Central Luzon)
OCD-Central Luzon raised Red Alert status on Sunday, Oct. 20, suspending classes in some cities, including Angeles City and Bulacan towns.
Only Aurora province was experiencing rains among the provinces in the region, the OCD-CL reported.
It also activated its response cluster and implemented preparedness measures. It has prepositioned food and non-food items, activating the system it used when super typhoon Julian barreled through Luzon in early October.
Further, OCD-CL has already prepositioned rescue and mobility equipment.
4. Region 4A (Calabarzon)
On Monday, Oct. 21, the OCD Calabarzon convened the regional disaster risk reduction council for a pre-disaster risk assessment (PDRA) and analyst group meeting for cyclone Kristine, resulting in the raising of the region’s disaster preparedness and response protocol to Charlie, the highest level of disaster readiness.
This level of response involves a high-level and proper accounting of resources, heightened monitoring, and reporting that will be undertaken by the LGU.
Response clusters were activated, such as for food and non-food items, for internally displaced persons’ protection, camp coordination, camp management, search, rescue, and retrieval operations, law and order, and logistics.
The regional disaster risk reduction and management (RDRRM) emergency operation centers also raised the red alert effective 8 a.m. Tuesday, October 22.
Sea travel for the whole region has been suspended. Meanwhile, the total number of passengers stranded was 204, rolling cargoes 34, five vessels, and seven motorbancas.
5. Region 4B (Mimaropa)
Region 4B OCD raised the alert level to Red and conducted preemptive evacuations. It conducted a PDRA in preparation for Kristine’s feared onslaught.
It immediately activated its response clusters and prepositioned food and non-food items for the feared emergency resulting from cyclone Kristine’s onslaught.
6. Region 5 (Bicol)
OCD-5 reported that as of Oct. 22, Tuesday, a total of 1,917 families, or 2,354 individuals, were displaced by inclement weather from TS Kristine. A total of 195 families, or 740 persons, were evacuated in Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Masbate.
Stranded passengers in different ports in Bicol already hit 2,450 as of Tuesday afternoon; 150 rolling cargoes and five sea vessels were stuck at ports.
It also reported flooding incidents in 17 barangays in eight cities and municipalities, one rain-induced landslide incident, three impassable roads, and the evacuation of some families.
Also, 154 power outages were reported in Catanduanes and Masbate provinces.
In terms of humanitarian assistance, OCD 5 has distributed family food packs (FFPs) worth P17,406.50, provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) field office 5, to the municipality of Pio Duran in Albay, and P182,199 worth of hot meals provided by LGUs to stranded passengers.
On stockpiling of food and non-food items, DSWD 5 has a stockpile of 163,465 family food packs, P129 million worth of non-food items, and a total of P243 million worth of stockpile and standby funds is available.
7. Region 8 (Eastern Visayas)
During the virtual press conference, the OCD-8 reported that as of Tuesday it was already in the response phase.
As early as Sunday, Oct. 20, the region already deployed response teams, established coordination with its LGUs, and prepared a request for fund augmentation from the quick response fund (QRF) that would amount to around P30 million to be used to procure tents, solar lights, stoves for hot meals, and other equipment.
On Tuesday morning, the region recorded 945 people evacuated; more evacuees were expected to be heading to evacuation centers.
Also, it reported 2,027 stranded motorized bancas and other sea crafts, 54 rolling cargoes, and 16 vessels. (PIA DMD)
