The operations center of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) hoisted a red alert status on Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 15, in anticipation of the effects of typhoon “Odette.”
Under a red alert status, all regional DRRM offices nationwide were virtually connected to the operations center at the NDRRMC’s headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City for easy coordination and provision of the highest level of response to their constituents, NDRRMC Executive Director Ricardo Jalad explained.
“As of now, Odette has already been classified as typhoon 12 hours before its expected landfall. The Pagasa said it would not develop into a super typhoon but it will be a strong typhoon,” Jalad said.
Odette is expected to make landfall over Eastern Visayas or Caraga on Thursday afternoon or evening.
Seven regions were classified as “high-risk” areas due to the possible effects of Odette. They are required to activate “Charlie” protocol or immediate action and response.
These are Mimaropa (Region 4B), Western Visayas (Region 6), Central Visayas (Region 7), Eastern Visayas (Region 8), Northern Mindanao (Region 10), Soccsksargen (Region 12), and Caraga (Region 13).
Meanwhile, identified as “medium risk” and required to implement “Bravo” protocol or high priority response are Ilocos (Region 1) Cagayan Valley (Region 2), Calabarzon (Region 4A), Bicol (Region 5), Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9), Davao (Region 11), and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
As for the National Capital Region (NCR), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and Central Luzon (Region 3), only the “Alpha protocol” or initial and preparatory response is required as they are considered “low risk” areas.
"This storm is quite big if we look at its satellite view. The size of the storm is big enough to cover the entire central Philippines, Visayan provinces, and a good swath of land in Mindanao and Mimaropa once it passes through land," said NDRRMC spokesperson Mark Timbal.
Meanwhile, NDRRMC operations center chief Joe-mar Perez said that they have activated the Council’s Emergency Response Clusters headed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
These clusters are tasked to ensure the coordination of the situation on the ground; protect vulnerable people; prepare food and non-food relief items; provide logistics; conduct search, rescue, and retrieval operations (SRR); ensure health and safety of affected individuals; ensure availability of emergency telecommunications; and education.
So far, the NDRRMC operations center has yet to consolidate the reports on the ground as to how many people have been preemptively evacuated ahead of Odette’s expected landfall.
But according to initial reports, there were 39 families or 72 individuals that have been preemptively evacuated in four barangays in Roxas City, Capiz. They are residents of Barangay Baybay, Dumulog, Barra, and Cogon.
There were also several families that were evacuated in Regions 6, 7, 8, and Caraga but exact details have yet to be provided by the NDRRMC.
A total of P331 million worth of standby resources were prepared by the Emergency Clusters and they are readily available for deployment in areas that need them, Perez said.
There were also 3,175 SRR teams, 558 land assets, 281 sea assets, and eight air assets that were readied by the NDRRMC for emergency response.