By Raydes B. Barcia
Legazpi City – To protect and five-time frame Albayanos and to prepare for weather disturbance, Albay governor Noel Rosal ordered the suspension of classes on Thursday following the Tropical Depression Paeng expected to affect Albay.
Intermittent moderate to heavy rainfall is affecting now across the Bicol Region including Albay. As of this morning, Rapu-Rapu Island town in Albay was placed under Tropical Cyclone Storm Signal number by the state weather bureau.
The island town of Rapu-Rapu is located within the eastern portion of Albay province.
“The Albay PDRRMO hereby suspends classes of all levels in private and public schools starting tomorrow October 28 until October 30,” Rosal said based on the advisory number six issued on Thursday here.
Earlier, the provincial government of Albay beefed up its preparedness on Amihan and Mayon restiveness.
Rosal issued a directive to observe a high degree of alertness following the prevailing Amihan season which could bring above normal rainfall events and the threat of Mayon Volcano’s restiveness.
“If Mayon erupts, pyroclastic materials deposited on its gullies may cascade down residential areas during heavy rains posing a potential threat to residents living on the slope of the volcano,” the governor said.
“Expect the worst. We’ve been through this before. It’s a complex disaster scenario as when there is a bad weather disturbance and Mayon Volcano is restive, this might be a double whammy again. So, we need to be ready,” Rosal said during the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management (PDRRM) Special Full Council Meeting held yesterday here.
“Get ready with the preventive measures and inform all vulnerable areas,” Rosal said as he laid down his directives during the meeting attended by the different disaster frontline agencies.
Rosal called for a special full council meeting of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management (PDRRM) to discuss the province’s preparedness plan, strategies as the local government braced for possible complex disaster anew.
“This is in line with the report presented by PAG-ASA that Albay will likely experience above-normal rainfall conditions in the months of November to February and so the gale warnings throughout the province,” the governor said.
The weather state bureau in Bicol warned the prevailing amihan may trigger floods, flash floods, and rain-induced landslides due to the ongoing La Niña.
Cedric Daep, APSEMO chief, said that they have tightened the security within the 6-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ).
Evacuation plans including the transportation, security, health, sanitation, and hygiene for the population at risk are ready to be enforced should a complex disaster scenario might occur.
“Our contingency plan on volcanic eruption, typhoon and pandemic are in place to achieve the province’s zero casualty goal,” Daep said. (Raydes B. Barcia)