BAGUIO CITY (PIA) - - With the  Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration(PAGASA) officially declaring the onset of the rainy season, the Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CRDRRMC) calls for  sustained pro – active preparedness measures for the possible threat of monsoon rains and tropical cyclones to ensure disaster resilient communities in the region.

“Let us always ensure our maximum preparedness and response readiness particularly in this rainy season,” CDRRMC Chairperson and Office of Civil Defense Regional Director Albert Mogol said.

“We saw the effectiveness of our preparations for these weather systems that even before the entry of Super Typhoon “Mawar” in the Philippine Area of Responsibility, all our preparedness measures were already in place, from the regional, down to the local level.”

“I do hope that we sustain this kind of preparedness operations or make it more intensified in the coming hydromet concerns,”Mogol said. 

Based on the monitoring of the Department of Social Welfare and Development - Cordillera which  leads  the Response Cluster, 9,097 families or 32,074 individuals  from 111 barangays in 27 municipalities across the  region were affected  bySTY Betty and the enhanced Habagat.  

There were also 58 partially damaged houses and  two totally damaged houses recorded in the region.  No death  was recorded and only one1 person was  reported injured due to a fallen tree branch.

The affected families were all served with family food packs and non – food items.  Those with damaged houses are being validated and will be provided financial assistance under the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation   program.

Meanwhile, the CRDRRMC has issued a memorandum to local DRRM Councils in the region reminding them the  needed preparedness measures for Tropical  Storm Chedeng.  

 As of June 7, 11:00AM PAGASA forecast, TD Chedeng maintains its strength as it moves northward over the Philippine  Sea. It was estimated based on all available data at 1,190 km East of Southeastern Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 75 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 90km/h.

Even as TS Chedeng is unlikely to directly bring  heavy rainfall over any portion of the country in the next 3 to 5 days, with the possibility that  it  may interact with the Southwest Monsoon or other weather system, the PAGASA advised the public to continue monitoring for weather updates.  (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)