QUEZON CITY (PIA) — Despite the continuing delivery of relief assistance to families displaced by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (Trami), the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has successfully launched preemptive evacuation of residents in areas under threat of Super Typhoon Leon (Kong-Rey).
At a press conference in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Oct. 30 (Wednesday), the OCD said that Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilbert Teodoro ordered forced and preemptive evacuations last Tuesday as Leon was drawing closer to Batanes in the northernmost part of Luzon.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Batanes in Cagayan Valley region was placed under Signal No. 4, while the outer rainbands of Leon threatened to dump heavy rains over Northern Luzon, mostly in the province.
Citing a report from state weather bureau PAGASA, the OCD said that Leon’s possible Batanes landfall was not yet ruled out as of late afternoon Wednesday.
Based on predictive analysis by the Philippine Statistics Authority, 2,525,000 people would be affected by Leon, and those directly affected could run up to 505,076 individuals or 85,798 families that also need 85,798 family food packs (FFPs).
As of 12 noon Wednesday, Oct. 30, a total of 2,548 families or 7,397 individuals have been evacuated from Region 1 (Ilocos region) and Region 2 (Cagayan Valley).
As of Wednesday afternoon, the OCD said that the agency has distributed to the different regions affected by Kristine, and those under Super Typhoon Leon’s threat 21,874 FFPs; 15,155 hygiene kits; 2, 696 kitchen kits; 4,996 sleeping kits; 3,551 shelter repair kits. all these have been distributed since Kristine.
The OCD is in close coordination with other concerned government agencies — the NDRRMC, the Armed Forces, the Philippine National Police, and local government units — to undertake its tasks. (PIA DMD)
