RAINY SEASON. Trike drivers in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte make their way through a flooded street along Paco Roman Street on May 29, 2024. The public is warned to brace for the rainy season. (Lei Adriano) |
By Leilanie G. Adriano
LAOAG CITY—The Ilocos Norte provincial government is now bracing
for La Niña, urging all local government units (LGUs) to brace for higher
rainfall and the upcoming typhoon season.
“Let us make sure our waterways are clear, all equipment is
available—our generator sets, boats, and search and rescue. We have to be ready
when the time comes,” Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc said
during a meeting with department heads at the Provincial Capitol.
He directed concerned personnel of the local disaster risk
reduction and management councils at the provincial and municipal levels to
take a proactive role in minimizing the effect of typhoons as well as La Niña.
Based on the latest advisory of the Philippine Atmospheric,
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), La Niña
conditions may develop from July to September, and it increases the likelihood
of above-normal rainfall conditions in some areas of the country, especially
toward the end of the year.
It said monsoon breaks or breaks in rainfall may extend over a
few days or weeks.
In anticipation of bad weather, Marcel Tabije, local disaster
risk reduction and management officer of Ilocos Norte, said the province is
leading an information dissemination drive in the city and municipal disaster
risk reduction management offices regarding the onset of the rainy season.
“We have been constantly monitoring the weather and advised
community officials to monitor the flood-prone and landslide-prone areas
including those at-risk areas of storm surge,” he said.
As part of measures for disaster mitigation, Provincial Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Council’s (PDRRMRC) keeps an inventory and
conducts inspection of equipment such as ambulances, dump trucks, and rubber
boats, including relief goods, food packs, and medical supplies that are needed
in times of calamity.
It also ensures evacuation centers and its facilities are ready
and available including the regular monitoring of the health and welfare of the
vulnerable sector, which include elders and persons with disabilities who are
living alone to ensure zero casualty.
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