The second round of the National Vaccination Days in 11 regions will be postponed to next week as a severe tropical storm enters the Philippine area of responsibility.
“The National Task Force opted to postpone the Bayanihan, Bakunahan as approved by our President, in the Bicol Region, Mimaropa region, and the whole of Visayas and Mindanao,” presidential adviser for COVID response Vince Dizon said.
The three-day mass vaccination drive in these affected areas will be held instead on Dec. 19 to 22 while the rest of the regions – Ilocos, CAR, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Metro Manila – will proceed as scheduled today (Wednesday) until Dec. 17 (Friday).
Tropical cyclone warning signals are likely to be raised over the Visayas and large portions of Mindanao and several provinces in Southern Luzon as Rai, which will be identified as “Odette” once it enters the PAR, has intensified into a severe tropical storm.
In its 11 a.m. tropical cyclone advisory Tuesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said TCWS #1 could be raised over the eastern portions of the Visayas and Mindanao as early as Tuesday afternoon or evening.
It was last seen 1,165 km east of Mindanao as of 10 a.m. Tuesday. It has maximum sustained winds of 95 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 115 kph.
The storm was moving west northwestward at 30 kph.
Local government units in areas within the path of Rai may order preemptive evacuations in preparation for the strong typhoon that may hit the country Tuesday night.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said over 10,000 barangays in the Visayas and Mindanao and some areas in Southern Luzon are likely to be affected once “Odette” makes landfall.
“We have identified areas at risk and we reminded LGUs that they can conduct preemptive evacuations if they see imminent risks, even before the storm hits, in their respective areas,” NDRRMC spokesman Mark Cashean Timbal said in a briefing Tuesday.
Residents and LGUs in Northern Luzon are also warned about the adverse weather effects caused by the shear line that might be enhanced by Odette..
Due to the storm’s possible strong impact, inter-island sea travel in the Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, and Caraga has been suspended to ensure that no one would be caught at sea by the storm and to prevent stranding at the ports.
Timbal said the travel suspensions in these areas would remain until the storm warning has been lifted.
PAGASA weather forecaster Nikos Peñaranda said rough seas will prevail and winds can cause waves over four meters high in open seas, particularly Bohol Sea bordering Eastern Visayas-Caraga area where Odette may make a landfall.
Peñaranda said such winds will also prompt hoisting of TCWS#3 in various central Philippine areas.
“If that happens, vessels won’t be allowed to sail there,” he said.
Peñaranda said “Rai” will likely intensify into Typhoon Odette which may have maximum winds of around 155 kph before its landfall on Thursday.
“It’s also possible for ‘Odette’ to cross central Philippines as a typhoon with intense and even torrential rainfall,” he added.
Peñaranda said the rainfall can trigger flooding and landslides in central Philippine areas susceptible to these hazards.
In its daily forecast on Tuesday, PAGASA said the trough of “Rai” may already bring cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms to Eastern Visayas, Caraga, and Davao Region.
Flooding or landslides are possible during moderate to at times heavy rainfall, it said.
The weather bureau said northeast monsoon or “amihan” and localized thunderstorms will bring rain showers to other parts of the country.
President Rodrigo Duterte has directed LGUs and government agencies to take the necessary preparations with the looming typhoon that could affect Mindanao and the Visayas.
“It’s already there. The typhoon path can be read in the newspaper and TV. All you have to do is to watch TV and see the trajectory of the typhoon,” he said.
Duterte urged residents who would be affected by the typhoon to temporarily leave the area, especially if PAGASA says the typhoon will directly hit them.
Authorities in Eastern Visayas have activated all disaster incident management task groups in every LGU and suspended land travel coming to and from Luzon and Mindanao effective Dec. 14, as preemptive measures because of Odette.
The travel suspension will not apply to those who are already in transit, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC) said.
However, sea travel will continue until competent authorities issue a suspension.
RDRRMC’s move is to “prevent unwanted movement, surge and build-up” of vehicles and travelers in terminals and RoRo (roll on-roll off) ports that might get stranded due to possible cancellation of sea trips with the expected unfavorable weather condition.
The RDRRMC said the land travel cancellation will not affect local land trips in Eastern Visayas.