ILOILO City – The whole island of Panay, Guimaras and the northern portion of Negros Occidental were placed under tropical cyclone warning signal No. 1 yesterday afternoon.
Typhoon “Tisoy” (international name: “Kammuri”) has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility.
The covered areas in northern Negros Occidental were Bacolod City, Bago City, Cadiz City, the municipalities of Calatrava, Manapla, Murcia, Pulupandan, Don Salvador Benedicto, Toboso, Valladolid, and EB Magalona, Escalante City, La Carlota City, Sagay City, San Carlos City, San Enrique, Silay City, Talisay City, and Victorias City.
Other areas placed under signal No. 1 were northern and Metro Cebu, Biliran,
Leyte, and Southern Leyte, parts of Luzon, and Dinagat and Siargao islands in Mindanao.
In areas under tropical cyclone warning signal No. 1, classes in preschool and kindergarten in both public and private schools are deemed automatically suspended.
Yesterday, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 6 director Jose Roberto Nuñez, chairperson of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC), raised the alert status of the RDRRM Operations Center to “blue”, thereby placing all concerned agencies on standby.
All local DRRM councils did the same.
“Also, ensure that your respective evacuation centers are prepared as part of preemptive measures,” said Nuñez.
At 4 p.m. yesterday, the center of “Tisoy” was at 595 km east of Virac, Catanduanes.
It was moving west at 20 kph with maximum sustained winds of 140 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 170 kph.
The rainfall outlook between Tuesday morning and Wednesday morning will be frequent to continuous heavy rains over Metro Manila, the Bicol Region, CALABARZON, Central Luzon, Mindoro provinces, Marinduque, and Romblon.
Light to moderate with occasional heavy rains will be experienced over Aklan, Capiz, northern portion of Antique, and the rest of Luzon.
Pagasa also advised residents in these areas, especially those living in areas identified to be highly or very highly susceptible to flooding and rain-induced landslides, to take appropriate actions, coordinate with local disaster risk reduction and management offices, and continue monitoring for updates, especially the thunderstorm or rainfall advisories and heavy rainfall warnings to be issued by Pagasa Regional Services Divisions.
Sea travel is also risky, especially for small sea crafts, over the seaboards of said areas.
“Tisoy” is forecast to make landfall over Bicol Region between Dec. 2 in the evening and Dec. 3 early morning.
In Iloilo City, on Nov. 29 Mayor Jerry Treñas issued Executive Order No. 148 raised “blue alert” status in the city and activating the Iloilo City Emergency Operations Center to provide command, control, coordination, and communications” in preparation for “Tisoy.”
“Blue alert” means all DRRM councils and concerned agencies (Department of Interior and Local Government, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health) will monitor the situation in their respective areas at all times and to file situation reports to the Operations Center of the RDRRMC./PN
