The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) advised the public Wednesday, May 24, to prepare for the possible impacts of Super Typhoon “Mawar” off the Pacific Ocean which is poised to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and be given the local name “Betty”.

(Search and rescue teams from the Philippine Coast Guard in Cordillera Administrative Region are on standby in anticipation of the possible impacts of approaching typhoon "Betty". Photo courtesy of PCG)

Asst. Sec. Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, OCD spokesperson, said they have been coordinating with their regional offices and concerned member-agencies of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to continuously monitor Super Typhoon Mawar which was spotted 2,215 km east of Visayas as of 3 a.m. Wednesday.

“Initially, [we] alerted LGUs [local government units] located in the eastern seaboard of the country as Mawar will be coming from the eastern side of the country. However, we are now also alerting LGUs on the western seaboard as the tropical cyclone will also intensify and pull southwest monsoon that will cause strong winds and rains,” Alejandro said.

Super Typhoon Mawar was packing maximum sustained winds of 185 km per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 230 kph. It was moving northwest slowly and is estimated to enter PAR on Saturday, May 27, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Alejandro said the OCD directed its regional offices to conduct pre-disaster risk assessment (PDRA) with science agencies to determine the LGUs that are susceptible to the effects of the tropical cyclone.

The regional OCD offices shall also determine the prescribed alert level and corresponding response protocols of the LGUs in the path of Mawar.

“Responders/rescue teams [are] on alert and standby, stockpiling and prepositioning of relief goods and other items [are ongoing],” Alejandro said.

PCG prepares for ‘Betty’

Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) activated its deployable response groups (DRGs) and quick response teams (QRTs) in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Ilocos Region (Region 1).

Vice Adm. Rolando Lizor Punzalan Jr., PCG officer in charge, ordered Coast Guard stations and sub-stations in Northern Luzon to ensure the preparedness of their personnel to respond to any eventuality.

“Dagdag pa rito, naka-preposition na rin ang mga search and rescue (SAR) assets ng PCG para agad na ma-deploy sa oras na makapagtala ng pagbaha sa mga residential areas (In addition, the search and rescue assets of the PCG were already prepositioned for immediate deployment in residential areas that will be flooded),” the PCG said.

Fishermen and crew of vessels were reminded to monitor the latest weather advisories to prevent the occurrence of maritime accidents.