The Cordillera Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) has raised the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) to red alert status from May 11 to 14 in preparation for the May 12 midterm elections.
In a memorandum issued Monday, CDRRMC Chairperson and Office of Civil Defense-CAR Director Albert Mogol said the alert is to ensure the full mobilization and readiness of all disaster response agencies from the provincial down to the barangay level.
The heightened alert status comes as nine areas in Abra province—Bangued, Bucay, Pilar, Lagayan, Pidigan, Tayum, Tineg, Dolores, and Lagangilang—were tagged as election areas of concern. Bangued, Bucay, and Pilar fall under the “orange” category due to serious threats from communist terror groups, while the rest are under the “yellow” category due to past election-related incidents and reports of armed group presence.
The memorandum also directed the Cordillera Regional Incident Management Team and Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis teams to be on standby for deployment. The region expects 1.44 million registered voters to cast their votes across 1,428 polling centers.
Compounding the situation is a developing weather disturbance 440 km east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur. PAGASA reported a low to moderate chance of tropical cyclone formation between May 7 and 13, potentially impacting election day preparations and response operations.