QUEZON CITY — The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has urged residents and local government units in Region III (Central Luzon), Region IV-A (CALABARZON), and Region V (Bicol Region) to prepare for the arrival of Typhoon “Leon.”
In a bulletin issued at 5 PM on October 29, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported that Typhoon Leon has rapidly intensified over the waters east of Cagayan Province. The agency forecasts that Leon will move northwestward over the Philippine Sea until it makes landfall along the eastern coast of Taiwan on Thursday.
Undersecretary Ariel F. Nepomuceno, OCD administrator, stated during a press briefing at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Operations Center, “Dapat maghanda ang mga nasa Regions III, IV, at V para sa pagdating ng Bagyong Leon.”
Undersecretary Nepomuceno emphasized that local government units must intensify their information campaigns regarding hazards and risks associated with weather disturbances, ensuring that their constituents are properly informed in advance. He acknowledged that the Bicol Region is still recovering from the impact of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine.
On Monday, National Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. ordered mandatory evacuations in areas identified as high-risk due to the anticipated adverse weather conditions from Leon.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. visited Barangay Causip in Bula, Camarines Sur, on October 26 to assess the damage caused by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine. The President has instructed all national government agencies to continue assisting those displaced by Kristine and has ordered the immediate reconstruction and rehabilitation of damaged roads and bridges.
Initial estimates place the damage cost for roads and bridges at approximately P1.3 billion, while damages to the agricultural sector are estimated at P10 million. (OCD)
