LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — As Typhoon Ompong moved towards northern Luzon, Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino III on Friday ordered all local government units (LGUs) in the province to implement forced evacuation for all residents along coastal, low-lying and landslide-prone areas, to safer grounds or evacuation centers.
“There are those that have conducted preemptive evacuation, like in Bani, Bolinao, Calasiao and Dagupan City, but some residents still would not go despite the threat of ‘Ompong’, hence the need for the forced evacuation,” said Avenix Arenas, spokesperson of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), in an interview.
In Dagupan City, the chartered city of the province, 741 families or 3,091 individuals evacuated from their homes as of 3 p.m., according to the City Information Office.
“We are on red alert status, so our staff is on full alert, including our partner agencies, such as the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Coast Guard, among others,” Arenas said.
She said 91 police officers, who recently underwent a Water Search and Rescue Training sponsored by the provincial government, will be part of the rescue team.
Arenas said the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office has been packing 10,000 family food packs since Thursday for relief operations.
“Let us be ready as we continue to pray that ‘Ompong’ would not affect us badly,” she added.
The governor issued a memorandum on Thursday, mandating LGUs in the province to conduct preemptive and forced evacuation, especially those along hazard-prone areas (landslide, flashflood) and those living along the river areas and its tributaries.
“Prioritize the vulnerable sector (senior citizens, person with disabilities, children and pregnant women) in the conduct of evacuation procedure to include those families whose houses are made of light materials and advise fisherfolks not to venture out into high seas starting Thursday,” the memorandum read.
The provincial government has cancelled all classes in all levels both in private and public schools and work in local government offices and national government agencies, except for those involved in disaster monitoring and emergency response on Friday and Saturday.(Hilda Austria/PNA)
