THE National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) is studying the possibility of changing the weather warning signals to make these easier to understand, an official said.

“Hindi lang pagbalangkas ng warning (signals). Napag-uusapan din namin kung papaano maco-contextualize (itong signal warnings) sa pang-unawa ng ordinaryong mamamayan na mapi-picture po niya agad ‘yun (magiging epekto ng weather disturbance),” NDRRMC spokesperson Edgar Posadas said Wednesday, January 16.

“Important din ‘yung engaging local media na ma-translate din ito (advisories) in the vernacular para ma-communicate kasi ‘yung warning importante kung nauunawaan and we get the necessary action from those who will be affected,” he added.

He said instead of using colors to categorize the rainfall alert, they might use numbers to make the intensity more understandable.

Posadas made the statement following the onslaught of low pressure area turned Tropical Depression Usman last December, which was tagged as one of the deadliest weather disturbances to hit the country in 2018.

At least 155 people were reported to have died due to Usman. Only 25 have been confirmed. One person is still missing while at least 40 others were injured.

Posadas said majority of the fatalities of Usman were buried in a landslide in Sagñay in Camarines Sur following the continuous and heavy rainfall brought by the weather system.

He said the victims had refused to heed the government official’s call for them to evacuate. (SunStar Philippines)