BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — The Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) raised its alert status to Red and adopted the Charlie emergency preparedness and response protocols to ensure maximum, timely, and responsive monitoring, warning, coordination and interoperability of preparedness and response readiness measures in the region in preparation for the possible effects of tropical depression “Kristine.”
The action was made during the Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment (PDRA) meeting on Monday,(Oct.21, 2024), convened by the Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) to discuss the looming threats of TD Kristine.
Weather specialists Engr. Hilario Esperanza and Mar Josef Santos of the PAGASA Baguio Synoptic Station reported during the meeting that TD Kristine is forecast to move generally westward until tomorrow (Oct. 22) morning before turning west northwestward to northwestward from tomorrow afternoon until the rest of the forecast period. It is forecast to intensify into a tropical storm in the next 12 hours, and will make landfall over the northeastern portion of Cagayan by Friday afternoon.
Office of Civil Defense Regional Director and CDRRMC Chairperson Albert Mogol shared that based on various international models that they reviewed, this tropical depression has a high potential of affecting the Cordillera region. He called on all local DRRM councils to facilitate critical preparedness activities before the nearing or possible landfall of this TD.
His directive includes strategic prepositioning of assets and resources, conduct risk assessment at the local level, ready evacuation centers, maximize the use of local DRRM funds, and be proactive in ensuring safety of our citizens.
Mogol reminded that the main mission of DRRM practitioners is to save lives and that they should not lower their guards.
“Let us look into those who are physically impaired, lahat po sila ay kasama sa ating preparedness. Sila po iyong vulnerable, huwag natin silang kalimutan, let us include them in our preparedness and response plan. Ang sabi nga po, wala pong dapat maiwan, wala pong iwanan,” Mogol said.
Meanwhile, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau issued its latest list of barangays susceptible to landslide and flooding. There are 677 identified barangays across the region with 24 in Abra, 114 in Apayao, 256 in Benguet including Baguio City, 135 in Ifugao, 26 in Kalinga, and 122 in Mountain Province.
The Department of Social Services, Dept. of Health, and the Dept. of Information and Communications Technology, and other council members, as well as the provincial DRRM offices and Baguio City DRRMO also shared their on-going preparedness activities. (JDP/MAWC-PIA-CAR)
