Binangonan, Rizal – A no-sail policy is now in effect for those going to and coming from Talim Island in Laguna Lake starting Saturday, October 31.
Loel Malonzo, head of the Rizal Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) told Manila Bulletin that the Philippine Coast Guard –Laguna De Bay Station (PCG-LDBS) enforced the ban on sailing of all kinds of boats to and from Talim Island starting 11 a.m., Saturday after the state weather bureau raised Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 1. over Rizal province.
The no-sail policy is regularly enforced when a storm signal is raised in the province.
The PCG-LDBS sub-stations are located in Pritil in Barangay Libis, Binangonan; Barangay Malaya in Pililla; and Barangay San Roque in Cardona.
The terminal of passenger boats that travel to and from Talim Island is located in Pritil.
There are 17 villages under the jurisdiction of Binangonan and seven villages under Cardona that are located in Talim Island, an island that is shaped like a dagger or a bladed weapon.
Bong Bernabe, head of the Cardona Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) told Manila Bulletin that the municipal government conducted clearing operations in the mainland and island villages in Cardona to remove tree branches near power lines and bring down large tarpaulins.
Bernabe said aside from clearing operations, the disaster management officers in the barangay levels led by village leaders have pre-positioned evacuation and rescue equipment in their respective areas in anticipation of the effects of Typhoon ‘Rolly’.
At least seven villages in mainland Cardona and two villages in Talim Island are considered prone or high risk to flooding or landslide based on the data from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau according to Bernabe.
Last October 26, the entire Talim Island was plunged into darkness after Typhoon ‘Quinta’ toppled power lines in the island.
Island villagers have become used to power outages during bad weather that households use either generators, rechargeable lamps, solar lamps or kerosene lamps to light their homes.
The PDRRMO has activated its operation center at the provincial capitol to provide coordination and exchange of information with the local MDRRMO in the municipal and city levels and its counterpart in the national level.