By Luel Galarpe/PNA
CEBU CITY – The Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) is now ready for any emergency situation after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) had forecast on Thursday scattered rains in the Visayas region due to the trough of the Low Pressure Area (LPA).
The weather bureau earlier raised the orange alert due to the volume of rain, which will last for five days and may cause possible floods and landslides in some parts of the province.
Baltazar Tribunalo Jr., PDRRMO chief, said they are now on blue alert status because of the LPA affecting the whole province of Cebu.
Tribunalo said they have advised local disaster units to monitor flood- and landslide-prone areas in their respective jurisdictions.
All local disaster offices, he said, have also been reminded of their primary tasks in cases of emergency.
The PDRRMO also warned those residing near rivers to always monitor the water level, and those living in the mountainsides to watch out for falling rocks and mudslides.
The Philipine Coast Guard in Central Visayas, meanwhile, cancelled all trips for Ormoc City and other parts of Leyte and Eastern Visayas.
Motorboats plying the Cebu-Bohol route were likewise not allowed to sail, while the Supercat Fast Ferry Corp. voluntarily cancelled its fastcraft trips for Ormoc starting Thursday morning.