Photo courtesy of Philippine Coast Guard.
QUEZON CITY (PIA) — Signal No. 4 has been up over three areas in northern Luzon as Typhoon Marce (Yinxing) was approaching northeastern Cagayan on Thursday morning, Nov. 7, prompting the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to place its forces on heightened alert status.
State weather bureau PAGASA said in its 11 a.m. weather advisory that Signal No. 4 has been hoisted over three areas, including:
• the northern portion of Cagayan (Gonzaga, Santa Ana, Santa Teresita, Lal-Lo, Buguey, Aparri, Camalaniugan, Gattaran, Ballesteros, Allacapan, Abulug, Pamplona, Sanchez-Mira, Claveria, Santa Praxedes, Lasam) including the Babuyan Islands
• the northern portion of Apayao (Santa Marcela, Luna, Flora, Calanasan, Pudtol)
• the northern portion of Ilocos Norte (Pagudpud, Bangui, Vintar, Dumalneg, Adams, Bacarra, Pasuquin, and Burgos)
PAGASA advised local government units (LGUs) and residents in these areas to prepare for significant to severe impacts from typhoon-force winds.
Further, it warned of a “high risk of a life-threatening storm surge” (exceeding meters high) in Batanes, Cagayan, including the Babuyan Islands, Isabela, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and La Union in the next 48 hours.
From Thursday noon to Friday noon, the weather bureau said intense to torrential rains are expected over Cagayan and Apayao; heavy to intense rains over Batanes, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, and Abra; while moderate to heavy rains over La Union, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Benguet, and Ifugao.
“Under these conditions, flooding and rain-induced landslides are likely, especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards as identified in hazard maps and areas with significant antecedent rainfall,” PAGASA added.
PCG DRGs
In anticipation of the feared impacts of Marce, the PCG, under a heightened alert status, has ordered all its personnel to be ready for immediate deployment, Lieutenant Commander Michael John Encina, the coastguard’s deputy spokesperson, told PTV4’s Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview.
Measures under heightened alert status include:
• the activation of deployable response groups (DRGs), constant assessment of areas that would be hit hardest by the Marce’s onslaught, and designation of forward deployment;
• preparation of Search and Rescue vessels (SRVs), ensuring that these are in tiptop condition to ensure the safety of those rescued, as well as the rescuers;
• issuance of travel advisories for PCG districts, stations, and substations within Marce’s trough;
• continuous coordination with local risk reduction and management offices (LRRMOs) for augmentation; and
• continuous coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) with the sole aim of delivering immediate assistance and emergency response from the government.
At the same time, the PCG is calling on the local government units to conduct pre-disaster risk assessment (DRA) guided by the Office of Civil Defense and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), PCG’s LCDR Encina said.
Moreover, Encina said that for immediate assistance, concerned local government units may contact PCG District Northwestern Luzon through the hotline 09457463430 at 09362659447. (PIA DMD)
