ISABELA – The head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council of (PDRRMC) Isabela has alerted six municipalities here to activate their respective Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council LDRRMCs after it was learned that Tropical Depression Pepito had a 65 percent chance of hitting Eastern Isabela.
PDRRMO Jimmy U. Rivera presided over an emergency meeting at the Blue Conference Room, Provincial Capitol, Alibagu, City of Ilagan, Isabela, to discuss the possible track approaches of TD Pepito in the Isabela-Aurora area.
In the meeting, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Engr. Ramil Tuppil presented a weather system being monitored by the agency where the eastern portion of Isabela (Palanan, Dinapigue and the Eastern portion of San Mariano), and the Northern portion of Aurora (Dinalungan, Casiguran, and Dilasag) will be affected.
He explained that if the forecast track of TD Pepito will not change, the possible landfall will be expected by Tuesday evening or in the early morning of Wednesday over Isabela-Aurora area then it will exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Friday morning.
The municipalities alerted to activate their LDRRMCs were Palanan, Dinapigue, Echague, Jones, San Agustin and San Mariano .
Provincial Administrator Noel Manuel R. Lopez urged local government units (LGUs) to prepare their facilities that will be used as evacuation sites in cases of emergency.
Lopez said, the evacuation sites should be distinct and separate from those facilities being used for COVID-19 quarantine to avoid the dangers of transmission.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has also been placed on alert with 420 personnel on stand-by, and would be on-hand to provide assistance, especially at the overflow bridges.
The DPWH 1, 2, 3, and 4 engineering offices reported that their maintenance crew and technical personnel were ready and on standby as well.
Uniformed personnel services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will also be ready to respond to any need for deployment of resources to areas which may be severely affected by the weather disturbance.
Isabela Electric Cooperative ISELCO I and II have already activated their 24/7-line standby maintenance including their line and clearing team hotline.