All local government units (LGUs) must be on high alert as inclement weather due to the enhanced Southwest Monsoon, Tropical Depression "Dante", coupled by the low pressure area (LPA) are expected to persist until early next week, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Juanito Victor  "jonvic" Remulla said on Wednesday, July 23.

In a statement, Remulla said  the bad weather condition will remain until Monday, July 28, as another typhoon is expected to hit the country.

“The department is closely monitoring the situation in western provinces, particularly from Negros Island to Ilocos Sur,’’ Remulla noted.

Remulla assured that the LGUs have already been reminded of their responsibilities, particularly in preemptive evacuation and risk communication in hazard-prone areas. 

He pointed out that the Office of Civil Defense, as the implementing arm of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), remains in close coordination with LGUs. 

The DILG chief assured the public that the Emergency 911 hotline is fully operational and ready to respond to urgent concerns from affected areas.

Amid criticisms of his informal tone in social media announcements, Remulla clarified that his intent was never to downplay the risks or the hard work of emergency responders.

“Hindi ko po minamaliit ang pinaghihirapan ng mga frontliners natin. Ang ginagawa ko lang ay gawing mas magaan ang paraan ng pagpapaalala—hindi puro pangamba. Kung may hindi nakaintindi, humihingi ako ng pasensya. Pero wala po akong masamang intensyon (I am not downplaying the sacrifices of our frontliners. What I did was to make the reminder less stressful, not to be too worrisome. I apologize to those who misunderstood me),’’ Remulla said.

President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. backed Remulla’s communication approach, saying it helps cut through noise and misinformation on social media.

“Criticize me, criticize him for the way we speak. But that’s the way he speaks. As long as he gets the message across. That’s what it’s for,” the President said.