DILG reminds local officials to ‘stay put’ and prepare for Typhoon ‘Rosita’

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Monday reminded local executives to stay in their respective posts and prepare for Typhoon “Rosita.”

“As leaders of your localities and chairpersons of your respective local disaster risk reduction and management councils, I expect you to be in your stations at the onslaught of Typhoon Rosita to personally oversee preparations and do the necessary actions to mitigate the impact of the typhoon to lives and properties,” DILG Officer-in-Charge Eduardo Año said in a statement.

He reminded local officials of Regions 1, 2, 3, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon (Calabarzon), 5, and Metro Manila to stay in their posts before, during, and after the calamity.

According to Año, it is imperative for local officials to be physically present in their areas so that they can “make an intelligent assessment and informed and timely decisions” on what to do during a calamity.

“During critical times such as this, time is of the essence because decisions and actions should be done immediately as the lives and livelihood of the people are at stake,” he said.

“Kaya kailangang nandoon mismo ang governors at mayors sa kanilang mga lokalidad,” he added.

According to the latest weather advisory, typhoon Rosita is expected to make landfall over Isabela-Aurora on Tuesday.

Earlier, the DILG ordered 16 mayors who allegedly “went missing” during the onslaught of Typhoon “Ompong” in September to explain their absence.

READ: DILG orders 16 local execs to explain absence during ‘Ompong’ onslaught