TUGUEGARAO CITY — The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) Region 2 and the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) here are preparing for the possible effect of tropical storm “Isang” which is expected to bring rains in the Cagayan Valley region either Tuesday or Wednesday.
“Isang” has maximum sustained winds of 65 km/hr, and gustiness of up to 80 km/hr. It was last eyed some 330 km east of Basco, Batanes.
Tropical cyclone warning signal (TCWS) No. 2 was raised by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) over Batanes, while TCWS no. 1 was raised over the Babuyan Group of Islands.
Stormy weather and gusty winds will be experienced over these areas, PAGASA said.
OCD-2 Regional Director and Chairman of the PDRRMC Dante Balao on Monday requested the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Region 2 to pre-position enough relief goods in Batanes. He also advised fishermen in the province not to venture out into the sea to avoid accidents caused by big waves.
He said the RDRRMC’s ultimate objective in times of calamities is zero casualty and proactive measures are necessary to prevent the loss of lives.
Meanwhile, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said that aside from identified evacuation centers, an evacuation area for animals will also be provided and pre-identified already by barangay officials in case there is need to evacuate especially in flood-prone and low-lying areas. (PNA)
