BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III
The Bacolod City government is now on full alert status in anticipation of the onslaught of typhoon Auring, Mayor Evelio Leonardia said.
Leonardia said he has alerted organic and allied units, such as the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, City Social Services Office, the Bacolod City Police, Health Office, Traffic Authority Office, Bureau of Fire, Liga ng mga Barangay, and the Sangguniang Kabataan.
He said the city government is also closely working with rescue groups in case forced evacuations are needed.
Leonardia also urged the public to monitor weather bulletins, and be alert and prepared, adding that those living in areas prone to floods and landslides are advised to take precautionary measures and follow evacuation protocols.
The DRRMO is operating a command center at the Annex Building of the Bacolod City Government Center, and may be reached through 432-3871 to 73, 0908-6499849, or 0930-2434706.
City executive assistant Joemarie Vargas, who is the cluster head of the city DRRMO, said they have set up eight evacuation centers in various schools in Bacolod, and relief goods to be distributed to the evacuees are already in place.
Vargas said they will impose a one-family-per-room scheme in the evacuation centers to avoid crowdedness.
He said they are monitoring barangays 1, 2, 8, 10, Banago, Pahanocoy, Singcang, Punta Taytay, and Tangub since there are a lot of residents in the shorelines. Areas where floodwater usually rises are also under tight watch.
The city DRRMO has not received any distress calls or reports of increasing flood waters, as of press time.
It also advised that Bacolod City and the northern and central portions of Negros Occidental, including Kabankalan City, Himamaylan City, Binalbagan, Isabela, Moises Padilla, Hinigaran, La Castellana, Pontevedra, San Enrique, La Carlota City, Pulupandan, Valladolid, Bago City, Murcia, Talisay City, Silay City, EB Magalona, Victorias City, Manapla, Cadiz City, Sagay City, Escalante City, Toboso, Calatrava, San Carlos City, and Salvador Benedicto are still under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal 1, as of the 5 p.m. bulletin of PAGASA.
TCWS#1 is also hoisted over Sorsogon, Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands, Albay, Catanduanes, the eastern portion of Camarines Sur, eastern portion of Romblon, northern Samar, rest of eastern Samar, the rest of Samar, Biliran, the rest of Leyte, the rest of Southern Leyte, Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, Negros Oriental, northern and central portions of Iloilo, Capiz, Guimaras, eastern portion of Aklan, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Camiguin, Misamis Oriental, and Bukidnon.
TCWS#2 is hoisted over the central and southern portions of eastern Samar, central and southern portions of Samar, eastern portion of Leyte, eastern portion of southern Leyte, Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte.
In the next 24 hours, the combined effects of the surge of the northeast monsoon and Tropical Storm “Auring” will bring gale-force winds in areas under TCWS#2 and strong breeze to near-gale conditions with occasionally higher gusts over the areas where TCWS#1 is in effect, as well as over Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Aurora, the rest of the Visayas, and Bicol Region, the weather bulletin added. On the forecast track and its probability cone, the storm may initially make landfall over the Dinagat Islands-Eastern Samar-Leyte area this morning, about 75km south of Masbate City this afternoon, and 100km north northwest of Coron, Palawan tomorrow afternoon.*
