NDRRMC orders pre-emptive evacuation in Luzon, Visayas

MANILA, Philippines - The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has ordered its field units to conduct preemptive evacuation in parts of Luzon and Visayas that lie along the expected path of tropical storm “Helen.”

NDRRMC Operations Center head Edgar Ollet said preemptive evacuation may be necessary in Bicol, Cagayan and Cordillera regions, Leyte, Samar and parts of Aurora.

He said residents in these areas, which are facing the eastern seaboard, should be on alert for possible floods and landslides.

“One of the things that should be taken seriously is that the mountain slopes may be affected by the southwest monsoon. Residents in these areas should be careful,” Ollet said, noting that last week’s heavy rains had caused soil erosions.

The NDRRMC could not tell how many residents would be evacuated because of the storm.

Ollet, nevertheless, said their personnel are ready to provide assistance to residents who would be affected by the bad weather.

“We remain on red alert. Those in the evacuation centers were not allowed to return to their homes,” he said.

A red alert places all disaster management personnel on standby. It also entails the pre-positioning of supplies and equipment.

Ollet said they have been under red alert since morning of Aug. 6, the date the southwest monsoon started to cause heavy rains and floods in Metro Manila, Ilocos, Central and Southern Luzon.

NDRRMC Executive Director Benito Ramos ordered his field units to monitor the situation in their respective areas and to undertake precautionary measures.

"Let us untiringly aim for zero casualties," Ramos said in a memorandum issued to regional directors Monday.

The death toll from the southwest monsoon rose to 92 while the number of affected residents has climbed to 3.46 million or 761,189 families.

NDRRMC said 32 of the fatalities were from Metro Manila, six from Ilocos region, 38 from Central Luzon, 15 from Calabarzon, and one from Mimaropa.

More than one million persons or 216,328 families have been displaced. A total of 410,729 persons or 89,114 families are still inside 930 evacuation centers while the rest are staying with their relatives and friends.

The floods have prompted local governments in Ilocos, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, SOCCSKSARGEN and Metro Manila to declare a state of calamity. Such declaration allows local governments to use their respective calamity funds.

Areas that were placed under state of calamity are Manila, Marikina, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, Muntinlupa, San Juan, Pasig, Pasay, Caloocan, Pateros, Pangasinan, Zambales, Pampanga, Bataan, Bulacan, Laguna, Rizal, Abra de Ilog in Occidental Mindoro, Culion, El Nido, and Linapacan in Palawan and Kidapawan City, Aleosan and Kabacan in North Cotobato

The southwest monsoon also left 11 persons injured and four others missing.

The total cost of damage to infrastructure and agriculture has reached P616.38 million.