By Brian Campued
“Handa ang Pangulo at ang pamahalaan sa anumang sakuna.”
Consistent with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure a whole-of-government approach on disaster response, Malacañang on Thursday said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has been placed on full alert status amid the impact of Tropical Depression Maymay and the southwest monsoon (habagat).
In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said President Marcos Jr. directed concerned agencies to intensify efforts in ensuring the safety of residents amid heavy rains, noting that strict preemptive evacuation was immediately implemented in flood- and landslide-prone areas.
“Sa gitna ng nararanasang sama ng panahon sa ibang bahagi ng bansa dulot ng Tropical [Depression] Maymay at southwest monsoon, ipinag-utos ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. ang kahandaan ng pamahalaan upang masiguro ang kaligtasan ng mga residente sa mga apektadong lugar,” Castro said.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has likewise deployed rescue personnel and equipment and is coordinating closely with the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the 17 local government units in the National Capital Region.
MMDA’s mobile pumps are also on standby while all 73 pumping stations in Metro Manila remain fully operational. Preemptive pumping operations are also being carried out to increase the carrying capacity of waterways.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has allocated about P1.8 million for humanitarian aid. It has also distributed family food packs (FFPs), ready-to-eat food items, and sleeping kits in Benguet, La Union, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Albay, and Zamboanga City.
The DSWD has likewise prepositioned over 5 million FFPs nationwide while more than P1.6 billion in standby funds were allocated for disaster response.
As of 2:00 p.m., Tropical Depression Maymay was located in the vicinity of Gamu, Isabela. After making landfall over Northern Luzon on Thursday morning, the tropical cyclone now packs maximum sustained winds of 45 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 75 kph while moving east-southeastward at 20 kph.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 remains hoisted in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, the northwestern portion of Pangasinan (Bolinao, Anda, and Bani), Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, mainland Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, and the northern and central portions of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, and Dipaculao).
Areas under TCWS No. 1 may still experience strong winds within the next 36 hours that can still cause minimal to minor damages, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
As it traverses the mountainous terrain of Northern Luzon, Maymay is forecast to continue weakening until it becomes a “remnant low” by Thursday afternoon or evening and move generally southeastward towards the larger circulation of Typhoon Dolphin, a tropical cyclone outside the Philippine area of responsibility.
The state weather bureau said Maymay and the enhanced southwest monsoon will continue to drench the western section of Luzon over the weekend, with up to intense rains expected over Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, and Benguet until Friday noon, Aug. 7.
Moderate to heavy rains are also expected over Ilocos Norte, Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Zambales, Bataan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, and Occidental Mindoro during the same period.
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