Quezon, Oriental Mindoro brace for ‘Rolly’
LUCENA CITY – As Typhoon “Rolly” (international name: Goni) intensifies and moves closer to land, Quezon Governor Danilo Suarez has ordered all disaster management teams in the province to gear up and prepare.
In his Memorandum Order No. 135 issued Saturday, Suarez tasked the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) and their counterparts in all local governments “to activate respective Emergency Operations Center for monitoring and to combat the effects of typhoon Rolly” in their respective areas of responsibilities.
The governor also directed the activation of all “Incident Management Teams” for the effective management of typhoon effects in the province.
Suarez also ordered all disaster management councils to be present at the “virtual emergency operations center” starting at 1 p.m. for real-time monitoring and conduct of efficient response to urgent situations.
Melchor Avenilla Jr., head of the PDRRMC, said the local governments are preparing the pre-emptive evacuations of residents living in areas prone to storm surge, landslides, and floods.
He said no residents have been preventively evacuated yet, “but the LGUs (local government units) and the people are prepared”.
On Friday, Suarez raised the alert status of the provincial disaster management operation center to red alert in anticipation of imminent emergencies that would require an urgent response.
As of 11 a.m., the state weather bureau raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 over central and southern portions of Quezon while the rest of the province under TCWS No. 1.
State meteorologists forecast that center of the eye of the typhoon will pass very close to Catanduanes, Calaguas Islands, and very close to mainland Camarines provinces by Sunday morning, and over Polillo Islands and mainland Quezon by Sunday afternoon.
By early Sunday morning, “Rolly” will bring heavy and intense rains over Metro Manila, Bicol Region, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), Central Luzon, Marinduque, and the northern portions Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro, the state weather bureau said.
Meanwhile in Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro, the disaster risk and reduction management office has pressed its sirens to warn people that typhoon signal number one has been raised over the province.
Disaster responders had been dialoguing with coastal villages to appeal for cooperation when evacuation is needed.
Vessel trips had been canceled from Mindoro ports to Batangas port and at least 30 vehicles were stranded along the highway in Barangay (village) Sta. Isabel.
The province was declared under a state of calamity after typhoon “Quinta” (international name: Molave) hit it earlier this week.
