NEGROS Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., chair of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC), advised all City and Municipal Risk Reduction Management Council in the province to heighten preparedness measures as Typhoon Ompong, with international name Mangkhut, entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility.
The governor also told the local disaster councils to take appropriate precautionary actions for possible flooding, flash floods, or landslides and place their respective operation centers on “blue alert” status and closely monitor their respective areas of responsibility.
Under “code blue” alert, 60 percent of the total workforce will be alerted and deployed for immediate response.
Marañon also advised all district hospitals to be on “code white” alert, which means that all hospital personnel is on standby for deployment and augmentation for medical and other services as necessary.
"We should avoid panic. Instead, we should pray," the governor advised the public especially against those who are circulating through text messages and posts in social media about fake typhoon advisories.
Marañon said that although the typhoon is located far from the province, it may still bring heavy rains.
He said that everyone should only rely on the forecasts and advisories coming from the state-run weather bureau.
"This is a very strong typhoon with maximum winds of 245 kilometers per hour. But based on its trajectory, it is going to Taiwan or southern Japan," the governor said, citing the report from the Provincial Disaster Management Program Division.
The typhoon may strengthen the Southwest Monsoon bringing scattered light to moderate rains and thunderstorms over the Zamboanga Peninsula, Western Visayas, and Palawan starting Thursday, September 13.
Meanwhile, Tropical depression Neneng has left PAR Wednesday, September 12.
On the part of the Bacolod City Police Office, all stations were already on alert after they received the advisory from the Police Regional Office(PRO)-Western Visayas to prepare and account their respective search and rescue resources.
The police were also instructed to closely coordinate with their respective local disaster councils.