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Sunday, November 25, 2007
Bicol folks told: Don’t let down your guard yet
MANILA –- Typhoon Mina may have changed course for Northern Luzon Saturday morning, but residents in Bicol should not let down their guard yet, said National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) deputy administrator Anthony Golez Jr.
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The Philippine Atmospheric and Geophysical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Mina (international codename: Mitag) changed course from the Bicol region and is now headed towards Northern Luzon where it is expected to hit Sunday night.
However, Golez said Bicol will still experience heavy rains and possible lahar flows.
“Bicol will still experience heavy rains. Our concern is the possibility of lahar flow in lahar-prone areas,” he said.
Several areas in Sorsogon and Albay are prone to lahar and volcanic debris from Bulusan and Mayon volcanoes.
Last year, heavy rains from typhoon Reming loosened volcanic debris from Mayon, sending them down towards villages at the foot of the volcano, burying hundreds of residents.
9,000 families
Citing figures reaching the NDCC, Golez said at least 9,000 families or 45,000 persons are staying in evacuation centers in Albay province.
But dzRH reported that many of the residents had gone back to their houses early Saturday, after learning Mina had changed course.
Earlier, Albay provincial disaster coordinating council action officer Cedric Daep cautioned residents against returning to their homes, saying Mina can still resume course for Bicol.
“We still have to observe it. We cannot tell if the typhoon will still bring winds and rains to our area even if it changed course. We cannot declare Albay safe at this time. It is better that the residents remain in the evacuation centers,” said Daep.
Reports said that as of 7 a.m. Saturday, disaster management officials in Bicol were still studying whether to allow residents brought to evacuation centers to go home.
Daep said many of the residents went home early Saturday morning supposedly to take a shower. The residents said they would return.
About 33,000 families or 162,000 persons were staying in evacuation centers in Albay as of 6 a.m. Saturday.
Several areas of Albay remained without electricity as of Saturday morning, dzRH reported.
In Catanduanes, where Mina was initially reported to likely make landfall, residents were relieved they will not bear the brunt of the typhoon.
On alert
Meanwhile, the health department remained on alert in Bicol and other areas that Mina was expected to affect.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said generators were placed on standby in government hospitals as part of their pre-positioning plans.
“Our hospitals have generators on standby. This is part of our pre-positioning,” said Duque.
Albay Governor Jose Salceda said about 53,000 evacuees from lahar-prone areas will have to wait until at least Sunday morning before they are allowed to return home.
“About 60 vehicles remain on standby to ferry the evacuees,” he said.
He said the first who will be allowed to leave are evacuees from the eastern seaboard of Bicol. Those from lahar zones will be kept in evacuation centers until Sunday morning.
P19 million
Salceda said the Provincial Government spent P19 million in implementing its preventive evacuation operations since Thursday.
“No matter what the price, no matter what the cost it’s worth that one single human life, and just to show the country that preventive evacuation works and can be done,” he said.
During a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Golez said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered “preemptive evacuation” of residents in Aurora and Quezon provinces after Mina changed its course from the Bicol region to the two Southern Luzon provinces.
Golez said the concerned provincial coordinating councils have been alerted for the evacuation.
"The President has instructed the NDCC to take precautionary and preventive measures. Provincial governors have been alerted and all contingency plans are in place," he said, adding that evacuation in the two areas may involve thousands of residents.
“The direction is heading to Aurora. We have already informed the local officials to relay the instruction of the President for preemptive evacuation, specifically in the coastline, mountain slopes and those near the rivers,” said Golez.
Task force
For its part, the Department of Education (DepEd) activated "Task Force Mina" designed to monitor damages to school buildings and coordinate efforts with various local governments nationwide as well as other concerned government agencies.
The task force will also help draft plans for the repair of school buildings damaged by typhoon Mina.
"We wanted to make sure that any school buildings damaged by the typhoon will be easily repaired so that classes will be restored once the typhoon is gone," DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus said during the task force activation.
He said particular attention will be paid on the Bicol region where schools were utilized as evacuation centers by the local government units as well as in the provinces of Aurora, Quirino, and Isabela.
Lapus said he has already ordered regional education officials in the Bicol region to report damages to school buildings and other education facilities to the department by calling the task force hotline at 637-64-64 and at 633-72-63 which is manned by DepEd personnel 24-hours.
Education regional officials in Aurora, Quirino and Isabela are also ordered to remain on alert as the typhoon is near their areas. (VR/JR/AH/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star General Santos. (November 25, 2007 issue)
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