Disaster response teams on ‘heightened alert’ for Holy Week — OCD
Disaster response teams are on heightened alert to ensure public safety for the Holy Week, the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) said on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Disaster response teams are on heightened alert to ensure public safety for the Holy Week, the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) said on Wednesday.
The OCD said that the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center (NDRRMOC), and Cordillera Administrative Region, Regions I, II, III, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), Caraga, and Bangsamoro region were placed under the “blue alert” as of Tuesday, 6 p.m.
The National Capital Region will be under this alert from Wednesday 5 p.m., until Monday, 8 a.m.
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“The blue alert signifies the raising of the alert status of the NDRRMOC primarily in preparation for a slow-onset hazard event or in anticipation of situation escalation, requiring selected duty personnel,” the OCD said in a statement.
Personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Philippine National Police (PNP) are mandated to render a 24-hour duty on a rotational basis.
Meanwhile, the red alert, the highest level of alert, is currently in effect over Regions V and VI. OCD explained that this is due to looming threats from Mt. Mayon and Mt. Kanlaon, as well as other weather disturbances.
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OCD said that this alert level is “activated to address an ongoing or imminent emergency situation, requiring response agency staffing at the NDRRMOC and immediate interagency coordination.”
Personnel from AFP, BFP, PCG, PNP, and the Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Public Works and Highways, and Department of Energy will deploy officers on a 24-hour duty on a rotational basis.
