Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade on Friday assured the public that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its related agencies are prepared for the onslaught of Typhoon Ompong.
“We are at your disposal. Your government is ready to respond. We can weather the storm, together,” said Tugade in a statement posted on the DOTr website on Friday.
With several flight suspensions and delays, Tugade apologized for the cancellations as the move would only ensure the safety of passengers.
“Sisikapin po natin na tugunan ang pangangailangan ng mga pasahero. Nauunawaan po namin na kalbaryo ang maghintay at matengga sa mga pantalan at airport pero kunting tiis at pasensya lang po ang hiling namin. Para po ito sa inyong kaligtasan,” said Tugade.
(We will try to respond to all the passengers’ needs. We understand the burden of waiting at the docks and airports but we only ask patience from you. These are for your safety.)
Tugade reminded the public to observe adequate preparation to mitigate the impact of the typhoon.
“Ang bagyo hindi natin mapipigil sa pananalasa pero hindi naman din tayo mapipigil ng bagyo sa paghahanda. Humagupit man iyan o hindi, bukod sa relief goods, may nakahanda tayong cash para ipambili ng mga pinaka-kailangan ng mga kababayan natin,” he said.
(We cannot stop the impact of the storm but it will not stop us from getting ready. The storm may hit us or not, aside from relief goods, we must prepare cash to buy the needs of our fellow Filipinos.)
DOTr noted that the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) moved stranded passengers at the Manila North Harbor to an evacuation center in Tondo. Affected travelers in Dumaguete were also transferred to city evacuation centers.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, Ompong was moving northwest at 20 kilometers per hour (kph) with maximum sustained winds of 205 kph and gusts up to 255 kph.
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