The government has readied P1.48 billion worth of aid for communities that may be hit hard by typhoon ‘Julian’ which PAGASA says could turn into a supertyphoon.
As of 5:00 PM on Sunday, PAGASA raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 3 over Batanes and the northeastern portion of Babuyan Islands.
“’Julian’ is forecast to continue intensifying over the next 24-36 hours as it moves towards Batanes and/or Babuyan Islands. With the current trend in its intensification, the possibility of reaching super typhoon category is not ruled out,” PAGASA said in its advisory.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that a total of 1.9 million family food packs worth P1.48 billion, other food items worth P276 million, and non-food items (NFIs) worth P919 million were already prepared by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Some P171 million in standby fund is also available for utilization by the DSWD, including P123 million which can be allotted as Quick Response Fund (QRF) in the central office of the DSWD.
In Batanes, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) advised residents to secure their roofs and install window shutters as Typhoon Julian is expected to make landfall in the area.
“We inform our people to tie their roof, put window shutters and prepare because we expect that it will make a landfall here,” Batanes PDRRMO head Roldan Esdicul said.
Esdicul stated that the province has sufficient food supplies and fuel for potential evacuees.
The provincial government of Batanes has not yet ordered a preemptive evacuation, as the area has only experienced light to moderate rainfall so far.
“The evacuation centers are prepared but there’s no preemptive evacuation yet because the situation is still tolerable. But some tourists got stranded,” Esdicul said.
In Cagayan, residents were reminded to take precautions against primary hazards, such as rain-induced landslides.
According to Cagayan PDRRMO head Ruelie Rapsing, personnel have been deployed to quick response stations to ensure rapid emergency response.
The provincial government of Cagayan has also not implemented a preemptive evacuation.
“So far, there is no report on evacuees in the northeastern portion. These are not flood-prone municipalities nor low-lying areas. These are located in the shoreline. The hazards are more or less rain-induced landslides,” Rapsing said.
PAGASA has placed under Signal No. 2, mainland Cagayan, the rest of Babuyan Islands, Apayao, northern and central portions of Ilocos Norte—including Pagudpud, Adams, Dumalneg, Bangui, Burgos, Pasuquin, Vintar, Carasi, Nueva Era, Solsona, Piddig, Dingras, Sarrat, San Nicolas, Laoag City, and Bacarra—were under Signal No. 2.
The rest of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Abra, Kalinga, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Benguet, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and the northern and central portions of Aurora—including Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, and Dipaculao—were placed under Signal No. 1.
PAGASA said the eye of ‘Julian’ was last monitored about 235 kilometers East of Calayan in Cagayan. It had maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 150 km/h. It was moving westward at 15 km/h.
