Tourists start leaving Aurora ahead of ‘Chedeng’

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – A number of local and foreign tourists started leaving the Aurora capital of Baler on Thursday after cutting short their stay and canceling reservations in hotels and transient homes although the local government has not ordered any evacuation amid preparations for the landfall of Typhoon “Chedeng,” officials said.

Baler Mayor Nelianto Bihasa and engineer Elson Egargue, executive director of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, confirmed the withdrawal of tourists, citing reports from the provincial tourism office.

They were still verifying exactly how many tourists remained in Baler, which is popular for its beaches and surfing spots, or in seven other towns of Aurora.

“But based on what we see, we have many tourists this time around. We were expecting around 10,000 for the Holy Week break,” Bihasa told the INQUIRER in a telephone interview on Thursday afternoon.

Tourists have been informed of the incoming typhoon, which was announced through a mobile sound system in the town, he said.

Egargue said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) advised that “Chedeng” would make landfall in Aurora on Saturday night or early Sunday morning. He said it was sunny in the province as of 4 p.m. Thursday. The province’s coastline faces the Pacific Ocean.

The provincial government has prepositioned 1,000 relief packs and medicines. Residents have been warned not to sail out to sea for fishing or recreation, he said.

The provincial government also has a standing memorandum of agreement with suppliers and the National Food Authority to provide rice and other food items in the northern towns of Dinalungan, Casiguran and Dilasag in case disaster strikes there.

Josefina Timoteo, Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council chair in Central Luzon, said all its local counterparts have conducted pre-disaster risk assessment.

Florida Dijan, regional director of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, said Aurora and Nueva Ecija have been classified as “Charlie” or “Red” because these are in the direct path of the typhoon; Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales are classified as “Bravo” or “Orange” because these are near the vicinity of the direct path of the typhoon path; while Bataan is classified as “Alpha,” which is farthest from the typhoon track.

Dijan said areas under “Charlie” are expected to experience storm surge, heavy damage to agriculture, destruction of houses, moderate to heavy disruption of electrical power and communication services and dangerous travel by land, sea and air.

Geologist Noel Lacadin of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in the region issued a landslide and flood advisory.

Critical landslide areas include Arayat and Magalang in Pampanga; Subic, Castillejos, San Marcelino and Olongapo City in Zambales; Carranglan, Bongabon, Laur, Gabaldon and San Jose City in Nueva Ecija; and Dingalan, Maria Aurora, San Luis and Casiguran in Aurora.

The Philippine Information Agency said the Department of Social Welfare and Development has activated its quick response teams in the region’s seven provinces. The agency has readied food and non-food packs (blankets and cooking utensils) for Aurora (1,500 packs), for Bataan and Zambales (1,680 packs) and for Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Tarlac (10,933 packs).

Chief Insp. Chery Lou Donato, public information officer of the Central Luzon police, said police directors in seven provinces and 14 cities in the region have coordinated with the local DRRMCs while ensuring the peaceful observance of Lent. AC