Through a Memorandum Order No. 200, s. 2020, the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) MIMAROPA has ordered to all provincial, city, and municipal disaster risk reduction and management councils of the region to conduct an early and immediate pre-emptive evacuation in preparation for the 2020’s strongest typhoon.
In the said memorandum on “Emergency Preparedness Actions for Typhoon Rolly” dated Oct. 30, 2020, OCD MIMAROPA Regional Director, Ret. MGen. Ruben Carandang said that “instead of a reactionary evacuation,” immediate pre-emptive evacuation is necessary not only to ensure the protection of the communities but also for the safety of the responders.
“Prioritize areas considered as highly vulnerable to flooding, landslide, and storm surge,” the order says.
The director, who is also the chairman of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) MIMAROPA and the chairperson of MIMAROPA Regional Task Force (RTF) COVID-19, based his command on the recent available data which shows that the so-called 2020’s strongest typhoon is heading to Luzon and moving Westward.
“With the typhoon’s track continuing almost similarly as that of the previous ‘Quinta,’ based on the Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment (PDRA) Meeting conducted by OCD-RDRRMC MIMAROPA on Oct. 30, 2020, the MIMAROPA provinces are once again expected to be affected by the winds and rains brought by TY Rolly,” he added.
The other recommended preparedness measures to be done by the LGUs include: *Activation of local emergency operations centers, response clusters, and incident management teams to ensure the close monitoring and reporting of the local situation, and the provision of appropriate and immediate response to any incident/emergency within the OAR.
*Conduct of local Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment Meetings with barangays to discuss the forecasted track and effects of TY Rolly in the AOR, and to ensure the preparedness of the LGU and barangay.
*Prepositioning of resources in identified hazardous areas, and immediate mobilization and deployment of response teams with strict adherence of minimum public health standards.
*Issuance and strict implementation of “No Sail Policy” in areas expected to be affected by the weather disturbance, and constant monitoring of coastal areas for compliance of all fishing and privately owned seacrafts.
*Continuous IEC and early warning dissemination to all communities and continued observance of COVID-19 safety protocols throughout the preparedness and response operations. OCD chief fervently hopes to maintain the “zero casualty” during the calamity.
OCD chief fervently hopes to maintain the “zero casualty” during the calamity.
Meanwhile, the MIMAROPA Region is also included in the General Flood Advisories issued at 3 pm today, Oct. 31, 2020 by the DOST-Pag-asa through its Facebook page. Likewise included are Region 4A (CALABARZON), Region 2, Region 3, Region 5, Region 6, Region 8 and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).