Passsengers headed for the provinces for the Lenten holiday wait for bus rides at the Araneta Cubao bus terminal. LYN RILLON
MANILA, Philippines – Rain the past several days has alarmed the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), especially since it is in the thick of preparations for the Lenten exodus.
“We are taking extra-precautionary measures to ensure that our people can observe this annual Lenten season safely with their loved ones despite the strange weather conditions,” DOTC Secretary Manuel Roxas said in a statement.
“In view of the widespread incessant rains, the roads will be slippery, if not flooded or damaged by landslides, seas will be wavy, and zero visibility is expected in the days approaching the Lenten season,” DOTC said.
Just recently on March 27, towns in Oriental Mindoro were submerged in floods due to sporadic rains caused by several low pressure areas from the east at the height of the summer season.
“This summer season seems to be different from last year considering the strange weather conditions and its effects on some areas of the country, like in Oriental Mindoro,” lawyer and DOTC spokesman Nic Conti said in the statement.
“That is why the DOTC is taking the precautionary measures to ensure the safety of our people,” Conti added.
The DOTC has ordered its attached agencies to warn people of any adverse weather conditions before travelling to their respective home province for the Lenten break.
The DOTC said in its statement that it “is considering grounding small crafts and ships if a typhoon signal is raised by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) over the weekend.”
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commandant Vice Admiral Edmund Tan had already been instructed by the DOTC to closely coordinate with PCG Auxiliary, Local Government Units, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, and tri-media to advise the travelling public before they head to seaports.
The PCG has also been instructed to “conduct aggressive information dissemination to warn coastal residents, local fishermen and other sea-going public on the possible dangers at sea,” the statements said.
The DOTC has taken to the Internet to help in their information dissemination for the highly anticipated Lenten exodus this year. Their website can be found at www.ligtasbyahe.org, while their Facebook page can be found by searching the name “LigtasKwaresma” and their Twitter account is under the name “@DOTCPhilippines”.
They have also set up a YouTube account where they have uploaded “videos of inspections on buses, ships and airplanes,” that can be viewed by the public.