GENERAL SANTOS CITY (PIA) -- The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management-Operations Center (RDRRM-OpCen) XII has raised its alert status to BLUE effective 5:00p.m. Friday (Feb. 17) as “preparedness action” in connection with the double low pressure areas (LPA) detected based on PAGASA weather monitoring system.
The move was the result of RDRRMC's Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment (PDRA) Analyst Group virtual meeting also on Friday, which was presided by RDRRMC XII chairperson and Office of Civil Defense Regional Director Raylindo Aniñon.
Explaining the rationale of the meeting, Aniñon cited NDRRMC Memo No. 011 s. 2023 dated February 16 as the basis of the PDRA Analyst Group meeting, as it reiterates the importance for RDRRMCs' "preparations for the Low Pressure Areas East of Northern Mindanao and East of Western Mindanao; and other current weather disturbances."
During the meeting, PAGASA Gensan Station chief Binrio Biñan presented a weather forecast where he said that Mindanao will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers and thunderstorms brought about by trough of LPA.
He said that rain which usually happens in the afternoon may range from light to moderate and may continue until Monday, causing possible flashfloods and landslides in some parts of Region XII, especially in those already vulnerable areas.
Tristan dela Cruz of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau XII, in his presentation, also said that a “ground saturation” is evident in some parts of Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato, and Sarangani due to persistent rainfall since February 13.
Meanwhile, Department of Social Welfare and Development XII-DRRM Program focal Naira Aratuc, presenting her agency's preparation efforts, said they have prepositioned stockpiles (family food packs) already in place at the city governments of Kidapawan and Tacurong including the municipalities of Alabel, Sarangani; Pikit, Cotabato Province; Tboli, South Cotabato; Bagumbayan, Kalamansig, and Palimbang in Sultan Kudarat.
The agency, she said is also expecting additional deliveries of 68,200 family food packs from their national resource logistics office, which will be arriving anytime soon.
Dir. Aniñon, in that meeting, prodded RDRRMC XII member agencies especially the Response Cluster to be prepared and vigilant and for all local DRRM officers (LDRRMO) in the provinces and municipalities to take pre-emptive measure to ensure the safety of their respective constituents.
As a response, the LDRRMOs said that they will be adopting the Blue Alert Status initiated by RDRRM-OpCen in their respective Operations Center.
In his memorandum for the activition of Blue Alert Status, Friday, Aniñon stated: "In this regard, all concerned RDRRMC XII member agencies and LDRRMCs are advised to closely monitor the situation and to ensure prompt coordination with concerned agencies and offices."
He also urged them to undertake appropriate measures and respond to any related incident/s and to immediately report these to RDRRM-Operations Center. (CTA/PIA SarGen)
