BAGUIO CITY (PIA) - - Local disaster risk reduction and management councils are reminded to conduct risk assessment, and implement precautionary measures to ensure a safe Holy Week, and summer vacation in their respective areas of responsibility.

Office of Civil Defense Regional Director Albert Mogol, the  Cordillera Regional DRRMC chairperson, issued the guidance during the CRDRRMC led virtual Pre – Disaster Risk Assessment  meeting on March 21.

The CRDRRMC Emergency Operations Center is now activated to Blue Alert effective March 22 to April 2, to ensure heightened monitoring, preparedness and  response readiness to activities, influx of vacationers and tourists in various holy week and tourism destinations in the region.
 

All local DRRM councils are expected  to synchronize their alert level with the EOC, and to regularly submit situational reports.

The different Cordillera provincial and city DRRM offices provided situational reports and their  plans during the PDRA meeting.

Members of the CRDRRMC Response Cluster namely;  the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Army, the Bureau of Fire and Protection, and the  Department of Health  assured their readiness to maintain traffic management and  peace and order, as well as to provide support in times of emergencies.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development, the vice – chairperson  of the Disaster Response Cluster, assured its readiness in terms of stockpile of food and non - food items, manpower and other logistics.

 
Meantime, Larry Esperanza of the PAGASA Baguio Synoptic Station  reported a generally fair weather in the Cordillera with a forecast of partly cloudy to cloudy skies  with isolated light rains during the Holy Week.
 
Weather forecast also indicates a low likelihood of development of tropical cyclone -like vertices within the Philippine Area of Responsibility this Holy Week, he added. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)