The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) expressed readiness to perform their preemptive, relief and rehabilitation tasks as tropic storm ‘Ulysses’ continued on its path toward the Luzon land mass.
Typhoon Ulysses is forecasted to make landfall over Pollilo Islands and mainland Quezon province between Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.
The center of typhoon Ulysses was located at 100 km north of Virac, catanduanes as of 11 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
General Gilbert Gapay, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), announced Wednesday that it has maintained a heightened alert among all military disaster response units in the entire Luzon and parts of Visayas due to severe tropical storm "Ulysses."
Gapay instructed commanders in Southern Luzon Command (SolCom), Northern Luzon Command (NolCom), and Joint Task Force National Capital Region (JTF-NCR) to prepare all their personnel and assets for possible deployment in areas that will be affected.
Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Debold Sinas has ordered all police commanders in the areas that would be affected by tropical storm Ulysses to assist the local government in the implementation of mandatory evacuation especially in coastal areas and places prone to landslides and flash flood.
Sinas also asked police commanders to help secure evacuation centers and assist in the prepositioning of equipment and food items that were prepared by the local and national governments.
Gapay said the military has already coordinated with different local government units (LGUs) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) "to ensure their immediate response as soon as the storm passes."
Meanwhile, in preparation for Ulysses, the AFP's search and rescue units with mobility assets were deployed to help LGUs in the pre-emptive evacuation of residents in low-lying and high areas who are at-risk of flooding and landslides.
Relatedly, the Naval Forces Northern Luzon (NFNL) of the Philippine Navy alerted its operational subordinate units and disaster response and rescue teams (DRRTs) in anticipation of Ulysses' onslaught in its areas of responsibility in Ilocos (Region 1), Cagayan Valley (Region 2), and Central Luzon (Region 3).
M35 and KM450 trucks, three rubber boats, generators, cutting tools, and life-saving equipment were inventoried to ensure a high-level of NFNL's response, said Lieutenant Junior Grade Ken Mar Jay Namoca, acting public affairs officer of the NFNL.
He added that their Operations Command Center (OPCOM), surface, and air assets were placed on standby for search and rescue operations.
“Our troops are now on active disaster response alert condition ahead of the expected landfall of Tropical Storm Ulysses in the Bicol and Southern Tagalog Regions.,” said Sinas.
“Our commanders were already instructed to muster all disaster-response capability for risk reduction and public safety operations in areas along the path of Tropical Storm Ulysses that will experience strong winds, heavy rains, and storm surge,” Sinas added.
Another preemptive measure being taken, according to Sinas, was the prepositioning of PNP disaster response personnel, equipment and resources in perennial geohazard areas prone to flooding and landslides.
"Kami ay muling nananawagan sa lahat ng ating mga kababayan na mag-ingat, makinig, at makiisa upang maibsan ang epekto ng bagyong ito (We reiterate our appeal to all our countrymen to stay safe, listen to authorities, and cooperate to mitigate the effects of this typhoon)," Gapay said.