MMDA braces for ‘Gorio’
MANILA, Philippines – The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on Saturday prepared for the passage of Tropical Storm “Gorio” by deploying hundreds of rescue personnel and ordering the rolling up of tarpaulins on giant advertising billboards.
As of early Saturday evening, around 200 members of MMDA’s Task Force Monsoon have been deployed to 11 stations throughout Metro Manila, assistant general manager for operations Emerson Carlos said in a telephone interview.
The task force will monitor possible flooding and heavy traffic, and will assist in possible rescue operations.
Rescue trucks, augmented by army trucks, are on standby at the MMDA headquarters in Guadalaupe, Makati, Carlos said.
The MMDA on Saturday afternoon also sent notices to billboard operators to start dismantling all outdoor advertisements. By 4 p.m., large billboard advertisements along Edsa were being taken down.