By Celeste Anna Formoso/PNA
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — All municipal disaster risk reduction and management offices (MDRRMOs) in Palawan are ready to respond to any situation that may be caused by Tropical Depression Samuel, particularly in the Calamianes Islands Group, a provincial government official said on Monday.
Palawan’s Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) chief, Jerry Alili, said the result of the pre-disaster risk assessment (PEDRA) they made early in the day had already been cascaded to the MDRRMOs for implementation when “Samuel” makes its way to northern Palawan.
Sonny Pajarilla, chief of the office of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in the province, has raised Signal No. 1 in the Calamianes Islands — composed of Coron, Linapacan, Busuanga, and Culion — and will be “directly hit” by the tropical depression.
“Nakahanda na ang mga munisipyo sa Calamianes. Sa Coron, andoon si Mayor (Ajerico) Barracoso nakaantabay na sa kanyang bayan. Nakapag-cascade na kami ng mga gagawin sa mga munisipyo at may sapat na suplay ng pagkain para sa mga maaapektuhan (The Calamianes area is ready. In Coron, Mayor [Ajerico] Barracoso is there to supervise his town. We have also cascaded what needs to be implemented at the municipalities and there’s enough food supply for those who will be affected),” he said.
Alili said all evacuation centers have also been prepared in case the PDRRM Council orders a preemptive evacuation, particularly in landslide-prone areas.
In a PAGASA’s latest bulletin, “Samuel” has been located 395 km. east of Surigao City, Surigao del Norte, moving northwest at 20 km. per hour (kph).
“In case we order preemptive evacuation, all temporary shelters have been prepared,” he said.
Pajarilla said Puerto Princesa City might also be placed under Signal No. 1, advising residents to stay alert and wait for advisories.
“Direktang makakaapekto pero hindi pa ngayon, kasi magcro-cross ‘yan sa northern Palawan sa Miyerkules. Magiging maulap tayo lalo’t higit pagdating ng Miyerkules dito sa Hilagang Palawan dahil ang bagyong Samuel, tatawid yan (It will affect us directly, but not now since it will still cross northern Palawan on Wednesday. It will be cloudy, especially on Wednesday, in northern Palawan because Samuel will cross the area),” Pajarilla said.
City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) chief Earl Timbancaya said they are also prepared to meet the needs of residents who will be affected by “Samuel”.
“We finished our emergency preparedness and response meeting and have also conducted an inventory of our food and non-food item stockpiles. The operational readiness of the units that are helping us has also been guaranteed,” he said in a separate interview.
Timbancaya said they will be monitoring barangays Langogan and Cabayugan where landslides have been recorded in the past.
He added that the CDRRMO is prepared for any tropical depression that would still come before the year end
