THE Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) has started monitoring towns in southern Cebu that may be affected by tropical storm Vinta.
With the storm set to make landfall at dawn today, local officials in southern Cebu started making preparations to ensure that none of their constituents will be affected by its onslaught.
Kathy dela Calzada, PDRRMO Emergency Response and Search and Rescue Division head, told reporters that Storm Signal No.1 is now raised in southern Cebu, so they are closely monitoring towns that are susceptible to massive flooding and landslides.
She advised local government units (LGUs) to monitor areas that are prone to calamities and immediately decide to conduct preemptive evacuation.
Dela Calzada cited the towns of Malabuyoc and Boljoon as being susceptible to landslides.
Earlier this year, residents of Barangay Lower Becerril in Boljoon had to be evacuated after a landslide affected some areas there.
Aside from Boljoon, some areas in southern Cebu were affected by flooding during typhoons Queenie, Ruby and Seniang in 2014.
Dela Calzada said that residents in critical areas must immediately coordinate with their barangay or municipal officials in the case of incidents during the storm.
She also urged LGUs to immediately decide to preemptively evacuate their residents in danger zones to avoid casualties.
In Boljoon, Mayor Marlou Derama said he plans to conduct preemptive evacuation in danger areas like Barangay Lower Becerril should the weather worsen today.
Derama said that he convened the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to discuss possible options should the storm severely affect the town.
In Moalboal, Mayor Inocentes Cabaron said they have alerted residents about the incoming storm.
Cabaron said that the town’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office will evacuate people living in danger zones.
“We have identified an evacuation center in every barangay,” Cabaron said.
In Carcar City, Mayor Nicepuro Apura said they’ve already prepared their barangays for any eventuality.
Their disaster units are already on standby, he said.
In Talisay City, officials are monitoring critical areas, such as riverbanks and mountain barangays, for flash floods and landslides.
Alvin Santillana, head of the Talisay City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said they have six backhoes and 15 dump trucks on standby in case of landslides in mountain barangays, such as Jaclupan, Lagtang, Camp 4 and Manipis.
They are also monitoring lowland areas in case of a storm sure, he said.
If the water level rises in barangays, residents in low-lying areas must immediately evacuate and head to their designated evacuation zones, Santillana added.
Mayor Eduardo Gullas is closely coordinating with the city’s 22 barangays for any updates in their areas that might be affected by the storm. (With EOB & Aubrey Rose Secuya, USJ-R Intern)