The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), through the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center, raised its alert status to “Red” on Friday afternoon as tropical cyclone “Nando” (international name: Ragasa) continues to strengthen over the Philippine Sea and threatens to reach super typhoon strength in the coming days.
Based on the 11 a.m. tropical cyclone bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services (PAGASA), Nando has rapidly intensified into a typhoon.
In response to the threat, the NDRRMC directed the activation of its detailed duty officers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Philippine National Police (PNP), as well as technical staff from key government agencies.
Aside from PAGASA, these include the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Education (DepEd), and Department of Health (DOH).
The council also ordered regional DRRMCs and member agencies to monitor their areas of responsibility, conduct pre-disaster risk assessments, and submit reports on possible affected areas, needs, and prepositioned supplies.
The NDRRMC likewise announced that the following national response clusters will be activated starting 8 a.m. today:
- Logistics: Office of Civil Defense (OCD)
- Food and Non-Food Items: DSWD
- Search, Rescue, and Retrieval: AFP
- Health: DOH
- Law and Order: PNP
- Camp Coordination and Camp Management: DSWD
- Internally Displaced Persons Protection: DSWD
- Crisis Communications: Presidential Communications Office (PCO) and Philippine Information Agency (PIA)
- Education: DepEd
- Emergency Telecommunications: Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)
- Debris Clearing and Civil Works: DPWH
On standby are the clusters for Philippine International Humanitarian Assistance (Department of Foreign Affairs), Management of the Dead and Missing (DILG), Early Recovery (Office of Civil Defense), and Shelter (Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development).
Meanwhile, the DSWD has already activated its red alert status to monitor and prepare for the possible effects of Nando.
“We are anticipating possible pre-emptive evacuations from provinces along…Nando’s track and nearby areas, so our Field Offices are now on standby 24/7 to coordinate with local government units (LGUS), and to provide regular situational reports,” Social Welfare Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Irene Dumlao said on Saturday.
The agency is prepared to distribute more than 2.6 million boxes of family food packs (FFPs), which are strategically prepositioned in the different hubs, spokes, and last-mile warehouses nationwide.
“The DSWD is ready to provide relief assistance to all families that will be affected by the effects of Nando. Currently, the agency has over P115 million in standby funds ready for disaster response operations,” Dumlao said.
“We are also ready to assist LGUs in the management of evacuation centers to ensure that the well-being of displaced locals, especially vulnerable sectors, will be prioritized and will not go hungry as instructed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr,” she added.
Aside from FFPs, the DSWD official said the department’s disaster response vehicles and equipment are also ready to facilitate the swift delivery of assistance.
“We would also like to remind our kababayans to remain alert and always heed the warnings of their local chief executives to be safe from the possible onslaught of Nando,” Dumlao concluded.
