ILOILO City – Western Visayas has been placed under Blue Alert as authorities intensified disaster preparedness measures ahead of the expected impact of the southwest monsoon (habagat) enhanced by Typhoon Inday which got downgraded from super typhoon category yesterday morning.
With 919 barangays identified as vulnerable to flooding and rain-induced landslides, nearly 172,000 family food packs have been readied for possible emergency deployment.
The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) raised the region’s alert status effective 5 p.m. on July 8 through Memorandum No. 55, Series of 2026, following a Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment (PDRA) Scenario Building meeting led by Chairperson and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 6 director Raul Fernandez.
Western Visayas is not in the path of Typhoon Inday but it is expected to strengthen the southwest monsoon, bringing moderate to heavy rains across the region from July 9 to 11, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
Antique, Aklan, Guimaras, and Iloilo are among the areas expected to bear the brunt of the enhanced monsoon. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) flagged 919 barangays in four provinces as susceptible to flooding and rain-induced landslides.
To ensure immediate disaster response, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has prepositioned 171,885 family food packs, 32,886 ready-to-eat meals, 17,971 non-food items, and a P3-million standby fund for emergency deployment.
The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) also reported that it is continuously monitoring river irrigation systems across the region, with water levels currently remaining within safe limits.
Under the Blue Alert, duty officers from the 3rd Infantry Division (3ID), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Coast Guard District Western Visayas (CGDWV), and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have been directed to report to the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center (RDRRMOC) in accordance with their standard operating procedures.
Local disaster councils and partner agencies were likewise instructed to intensify the dissemination of early warning advisories, submit regular situational reports, and immediately report incidents to the RDRRMOC for consolidation and assessment.
Fernandez also ordered local governments to activate Incident Management Teams and Emergency Operations Centers whenever necessary, closely monitor flood- and landslide-prone communities, coordinate possible preemptive evacuations with barangays, ensure all response assets are fueled and deployment-ready, advise fisherfolk and small boat operators not to venture out to sea, and discourage non-essential travel in affected areas.
“Preparedness is the key to minimizing risks, and collective efforts will be essential in navigating the challenges ahead,” the council emphasized, while urging the public to continue monitoring official announcements.
Typhoon Inday is forecast to move northwestward while remaining over the Philippine Sea, and pass near extreme Northern Luzon by Friday evening, before exiting the country on Saturday, July 11./PN
