MANILA, Philippines ?Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. on Monday announced that he has called for assistance from the international community in preparation for the possible entry of another weather disturbance.

?I have just authorized sending out of a flash appeal for assistance and we will send a letter within the day to the UN resident commissioner, for coordination for internal humanitarian assistance,? Teodoro said in a press briefing Monday

Teodoro, together with heads of major government agencies, told reporters that he will send a letter to the United Nations Resident Coordinator to appeal to the international community in behalf of the Philippine government.

Teodoro added that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has authorized him as chair of the National Disaster Coordinating Council to call for aid ?for planning purposes? in case another weather disturbance enters Philippine territory.

In the same press briefing held at the NDCC headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration Director Prisco Nilo confirmed that a developing low pressure area has been sighted east of Mindanao.

The brewing weather disturbance, forecast to enter Philippine territory by Friday, has the potential to intensify into a typhoon since it is still over open seas, Nilo said.

Though the brewing storm, which may possibly head for Central and Northern Luzon, is projected to enter Philippine territory as a low pressure area, ?things may still change,? the PAGASA chief also warned.

The weather disturbance will be called ?Peping? once it becomes a tropical depression and enters Philippine territory, Nilo said.

Assuming that the developing weather disturbance does affect Luzon, Teodoro said the NDCC and concerned government agencies may not be able to extend the necessary aid given that they are still assisting victims of tropical storm ?Ondoy? (international code name: Ketsana) in the National Capital Region and nearby provinces.

The call for international assistance covers only the areas of National Capital Region and Region 4A, the two regions severely affected by Ondoy, Teodoro said.

In its latest tally, the NDCC reported a total of 140 killed in NCR, Cordillera Administrative Region, and affected provinces of Regions 1, 2, 3 and 4A.

The call for support from the international community is a way of being ?one step forward? against possible severe effects of another storm that may hit the country.

?W cannot really leave it too long and if we wait and events proved to be correct in accordance with predictions, we may be too late so we are requesting that today with the concurrence and with the, under the authority given to us by the president,? Teodoro said.

For her part, Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral said the assistance from the international community may come in the form of cash or in-kind such as emergency supplies, generators, and food supplies.

She added that the Philippine government cannot dictate on the amount which should be donated by other countries. The UN Resident Coordinator instead assesses the situation and estimates an amount which will be the proposed that other countries should meet.

The last time the Philippines called for international assistance was in 2007 after typhoons Milenyo, Reming and Senyang hit the Bicol region consecutively, Esperanza said.