Evacuation order issued for Manila Bay folk

IN PREPARATION for Typhoon “Ruby,” MMDA crews remove tarpaulin billboards on Edsa, including one for the January 2015 visit of Pope Francis (left), as a safety precaution. JOAN BONDOC

“Ruby” or not, clear the coastline.

The Manila city government on Saturday ordered the preemptive evacuation of residents in the shantytowns facing Manila Bay, regardless of whether or not Typhoon Ruby makes a direct hit on the capital.

Johnny Yu, director of the local disaster management office, said the City Hall had tasked barangay officials in Baseco Compound, Parola Compound and Isla Puting Bato in Tondo to empty their respective areas by early Monday morning, and move their constituents to temporary shelters in Del Pan, Baseco and Intramuros.

RESCUE boats are prepared Saturday at the Del Pan evacuation center in Tondo, Manila, one of temporary shelters alloted by the city government. JOAN BONDOC

The Del Pan evacuation center can hold up to 1,000 people, while the one in Baseco has space enough for 2,000. Yu said his office was also coordinating with the Intramuros Administration for the use of the multipurpose hall in Pamantasang Lungsod ng Maynila as an evacuation center, as well as the Universidad de Manila and some private schools in the city.

“Whether [Metro Manila] is taking a direct hit or not, there are still forecasts of a storm surge 1 to 2 meters high,” Yu said in an interview, saying his office expects the critical period to be from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. Monday.

The evacuations could begin Sunday night, depending on Ruby’s speed and movement over provinces immediately south of the National Capital Region, he added.

The Manila Police District was also called in to help ensure that Roxas Boulevard, particularly the Baywalk area, would be cleared of street dwellers by that time.

Meanwhile, all trips from Manila North Harbor have been cancelled, according to Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Armand Balilo. As of press time, the number of passengers at the port had gone down to 200 on Saturday from a high of 1,800 on Friday.

In southern Metro Manila, authorities are also not taking any chances.

Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. ordered emergency vehicles and equipment to be put on standby at the city hall quadrangle for quick deployment, as well as the purchase of additional relief goods, blankets and other provisions for evacuees.

Teams of first responders, composed of doctors, nurses and rescuers, are already on heightened alert for the possible landfall of Ruby in Metro Manila, Binay said.

The Makati emergency hotline 168 will be open to residents needing assistance or updates on Ruby’s effects on the city. Other PLDT numbers connected to 168 are as follows: 8701920, 8701923, 8701926, 8701929, 8701932, 8701935, 8701940, and 8701942.

Aiming for zero casualty, the Pasay City government had also taken precautionary measures in at least four flood-prone areas: Maricaban, Malibay, Kalayaan and Villamor-Pildera.

“[Rescue] teams will be activated once the city has been placed on orange alert [for intense rains that may require the evacuation of residents],” said City Administrator Dennis Acorda. Stocks of relief goods and medicines have also been readied by the city’s social work department.

FIREMEN PITCH IN Members of Bureau of Fire Protection help in repacking rice for victims of Typhoon “Ruby” at a warehouse of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Parañaque. JOAN BONDOC

Emergency responders of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) were placed on blue alert on Saturday, a status wherein half of their forces and equipment are on standby for deployment.

MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino said a number of MMDA rescue personnel were sent 10 days ago to Cebu, where they conducted training sessions and would have to stay put because of Ruby.

For the northern cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela, an initial team of 60 responders would be deployed, according to Edward Gonzales, head of the MMDA Road Emergency Group.

At least 11 landslide-prone areas in Quezon City are being monitored: Pansol, Batasan Hills, Loyola Heights, Payatas, North Fairview, La Mesa Dam, Commonwealth, Greater Lagro, Balara, Holy Spirit, and Bagong Silang, Gonzales added.

The concentration of MMDA personnel would be in National Capital Region’s southern quadrant composed of Parañaque, Pasay, Las Piñas, Taguig, Makati, Muntinlupa, and the municipality of Pateros.