The Philippine National Police (PNP) has activated its disaster management task group ahead of the landfall of Supertyphoon Lawin (international name: Haima) which will plow into Northern Luzon.
On Wednesday, the PNP command group activated its National Headquarters Disaster Incident Management Task Group (DIMTG).
Troops have been sent to Northern Luzon provinces to augment local PNP units for possible disaster response.
READ: ‘Lawin’ reaches Supertyphoon status
Disaster equipment and supplies have also been prepositioned to areas threatened by the supertyphoon, which is expected to bring intense rains, storm surges and landslides.
Disaster response-capable units of the PNP include, Special Action Force (SAF), Maritime Group, Highway Patrol Group (HPG), Police Community Relations Group (PCRG), as well as the Regional Public Safety Battalions (RPSBs), and were instructed to coordinate closely with NDRRMC and Local government units for possible enforcement of forced evacuation in high-risk communities.
Cagayan Valley regional police’s acting Regional Director Chief Supt. Gilbert Sosa, meanwhile, directed all police commanders in the region to ready their troops in anticipation of typhoon “Lawin’s” onslaught in Cagayan province.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Lawin is expected to make landfall over Cagayan-Isabela area late Wednesday evening or early Thursday, between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. Afterwhich, it will cross Apayao and Ilocos Norte.
READ: Cagayan bracing for Supertyphoon Lawin
The Cagayan Valley police placed all its 753 disaster-trained personnel on standy.
Sosa added that rubber boats, life vests, portable generators, rappelling equipment, chainsaw and other search, rescue and retrieval operations equipment are all in good condition in case these would be needed.
The latest weather bulletin from the state weather bureau said Lawin packed maximum sustained winds of up to 225 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 315 kph. TVJ