Camp Aquino, Tarlac City – Troops deployed in the areas north of Metro Manila were ordered to remain alert on Monday as the region braces for another severe weather system a day after surviving the wrath of Typhoon Rolly.
Weather forecasters predicted that Tropical Storm Siony, the third to hit the region in three weeks, will pass over extreme northern Luzon on Thursday.
Major General Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr, Commander of the AFP’s Northern Luzon Command, said that “although ‘Siony’ is relatively weaker compared to ‘Rolly’, there is still a need for us to ensure that all of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines are ready if and when our service are required anytime and anywhere.”
The military commander emphasized that “there is no substitute to long drawn planning and preparation”, something which, according to him, his troops “have been doing during the course of our periodic trainings and exercises.”
As part of NOLCOM’s proactive actions, 249 Disaster Response Teams have been activated and are currently strategically deployed across Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Cordillera Administrative Region as well as in the different Maritime Areas in the West Philippine Sea, Batanes Group of Islands and Philippine Rise in the Pacific Ocean.
“Aside from constantly coordinating with various LGUs and line agencies in the different regions,” Maj Gen Burgos added that “we are closely working with NGOs, one of which decided to preposition three truckloads of relief goods here in Camp Aquino before ‘Rolly’ struck, something which we are planning to replicate before ‘Siony’ arrives.”
Almost 1,000 families from Bataan and Bulacan received relief goods during the first wave of outreach program on Monday. They are part of the more than 50,000 families from Central Luzon who were reported to have evacuated during the height of Typhoon Rolly.
Maj Gen Burgos earlier reminded his men to “remain vigilant against any possible offensive actions from NPA terrorists who, historically speaking, have demonstrated blatant disrespect to internationally-accepted war conventions by attacking unarmed soldiers who were merely performing humanitarian missions in the past.”
NOLCOM has Army, Airforce, Navy and Marine units under its operational control. They are part of the government teams which are presently conducting Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment in the typhoon-affected areas.
