The government has assured the public that all systems are in place as Luzon braces for Typhoon Nika.
During a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary (DILG) Jonvic Remulla, who also serves as vice chair of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, announced that they have advised the 2,500 barangays directly in Nika’s path to conduct preemptive evacuations, with all concerned government units on standby.
“We have advised all the governors involved in the 2,500 barangays to evacuate, especially those prone to floods and landslides,” Remulla stated.
“The DSWD has prepositioned the necessary food packs and response facilities. The five airports servicing the region have been notified to clear the vicinity immediately.”
Remulla noted that warnings have been issued since Friday last week and emphasized that the response scenario is a 10-day event, spanning from Friday to the following Monday, due to the impending arrival of two additional tropical cyclones, which will be named Ofel and Pepito.
“Nevertheless, we are prepared. Information is key,” Remulla asserted. “The DENR has identified the barangays most susceptible to landslides and floods, and the response should be immediate.”
“You can see the scenario: between November 11 and 17, we will have three typhoons entering the Philippines, all on the same path,” he explained. “So, between Marce and Pepito, that means four typhoons in 10 days, following the same trajectory.”
Remulla warned that the likelihood of landslides is very high and imminent in the mountains of Regions 1, 2, and the Cordillera Administrative Region due to ground saturation from successive typhoons impacting these areas.
