BACOLOD City was placed under a “blue alert” status on Friday, February 19, 2021, due to the threat of Tropical Storm “Auring.”
Executive Assistant Jose Maria Vargas, cluster head of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO), said Friday they are now on “blue alert” status and are monitoring the situation in the city.
“We are monitoring the weather to ensure the safety of our constituents. We are ready once “Auring” will landfall in our areas,” he said.
He added the city government had also put up a command center at the Annex Building of the Bacolod Government Center. All reports will be conveyed at the Command Center and response teams will also be stationed there.
On Thursday, Mayor Evelio Leonardia ordered Vargas to convene the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC) for a Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment and Emergency Preparedness for Response.
Vargas said “Auring” had continued to intensify into a tropical storm as it moved slowly northwestward over the Philippine Sea.
He said the typhoon was estimated to hit Bacolod on Sunday or Wednesday and they are very cautious of flood-prone areas such as those in Barangay 2, 8, 10, 16, Bata, Banago, Pahanocoy and Villamonte.
The Department of Education also agreed to use its schools as evacuation centers that are not being used as quarantine facilities.
“We already coordinated with the rescue, transportation, and evacuation facilities of the DepEd. The police will handle the patrolling, the Bureau of Fire Protection will provide water in our evacuation center; and the City Health Office will manage the medical facilities if ever there will be evacuation. We will also be activating our barangay health centers,” Vargas said.
Vargas assured the public that the city’s emergency response system is ready. He advised everyone to immediately contact barangay officials or the police, whoever is nearer, in case of emergency.
DRRMO-Emergency Medical Service is open 24/7 with their contact number (034) 432-3871 to 73 and 0908-6499849 or 0930-2434706.