LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – In preparation for Typhoon Lawin, Governor Amado “Pogi” I. Espino, III has tasked the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) to carry over the “Red Alert” status it has implemented for Typhoon “Karen.”
The provincial chief executive instructed the council member agencies to maintain the highest alert status during the Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment today, October 18, at the PDRRMC Tactical Operations Center, Capitol Compound here.
Typhoon Lawin, which is projected to be a “super typhoon”, has already entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility today and is expected to make its landfall this Thursday morning, Oct. 20 and will make aquick exit from Luzon landmass on the same day.
PDRRMC Executive Officer Rhodyn Luchinvar Oro said that the council is also looking into the possibility of a worst-case scenario of the typhoon making its exit through the province as determined by the Department of Science and Technology’s Project Noah.
Meanwhile, Gov. Espino has committed the Philippine Army, Philippine National Police, Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard and Delta Communicators, Incorporated to sustain their current deployments in various stations especially in the flood-prone areas in Western Pangasinan.
The Philippine Army 3rd mechanized battalion medical platform based in Manaoag and the Philippine National Red Cross-Pangasinan Chapter will augment the medical response team of the provincial government.
Also on alert for intervention are the health personnel from the Provincial Health Office and the 14 provincial government-owned-and-operated hospitals.
Relief operations have also been prepared by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, with rice supply secured by a memorandum of agreement the governor has forged with the National Food Authority.
Transport of the goods will be facilitated by the Provincial Engineering Office and the General Services Office.
Oro was also glad to report the zero-casualty incidence recorded during the onslaught of Karen last Oct. 15-16, which he attributed to the hands-on leadership of Gov. Espino, who personally supervised operations in the tactical operations center.
“This achievement is due to the leadership of the governor. He was here even Saturday and Sunday in the midst of the storm,” he said.
He also noted the effective execution of the storm-surge early warning system in all of the 14 coastal towns and cities in Pangasinan.
Finally, the governor said that the power of prayer is the most effective way to mitigate disaster.
By Dexter A. See
