TACLOBAN CITY – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Eastern Visayas placed all its stations and substations under heightened alert status in response to the effects of severe tropical storm ‘’Opong’’ (international name ‘’Bualoi’’).

PCG District Eastern Visayas commander Capt. Jonathan Marfil ordered more personnel to be sent to the Samar provinces to improve monitoring, strengthen safety at ports, and ensure quick communication with local governments and partner agencies.

“We assure the public that our personnel remain fully committed to safeguarding lives and property amid the adverse weather conditions,” Marfil said in a statement Thursday.

The PCG has deployed its disaster response groups, quick response teams, and floating assets to key areas to support emergency operations.

Rigorous pre-departure inspections are being conducted to enforce maritime safety protocols and prevent maritime incidents, according to Marfil.

The Coast Guard has suspended sea travel in eastern Leyte, Biliran, Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration raised tropical cyclone wind signals in the region since Wednesday noon.

In a notice to mariners, the PCG said it is enforcing temporary suspensions of voyages for all types of vessels or watercraft.

Maritime stakeholders are strongly advised to closely monitor weather advisories and sea condition bulletins, as voyage suspensions may be implemented in areas affected by the storm.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has prepositioned 175,895 family food packs (FFPs) to boost its readiness for the impact of Opong in Eastern Visayas.

DSWD-8 (Eastern Visayas) Information Officer Jonalyndie Chua said they have been replenishing their stocks in preparation for the effects of the rainy season, including the current storm that has placed different provinces in the region under tropical cyclone warning signals 1 and 2.

“DSWD is always ready to respond. We have been monitoring the situation and coordinating with affected local government units,” Chua told the Philippine News Agency on Thursday.

The stock of food supplies and non-food items, worth P145.32 million, will ensure the faster delivery of relief goods in case of severe flooding and other disasters, she said.

These FFPs are stored in warehouses in the towns of Allen and Biri in Northern Samar; Jipapad, Taft, and Guiuan in Eastern Samar; the DSWD regional resource operations center (RROC) in Palo, Leyte; and Sogod, Southern Leyte.

Other stockpiles are in Almagro and Santo Niño in Samar and Naval, Maripipi, and Kawayan in Biliran province.

Each FFP contains six kilograms of rice, four cans of corned beef, four cans of tuna flakes, two cans of sardines, five sachets of coffee, and five sachets of cereal drinks.

Among the prepositioned items are ready-to-eat food packs at the DSWD RROC to ensure that food supplies are available and easily accessible in times of crisis.

“By stockpiling these essential food supplies in advance, the agency can provide and respond swiftly to those in need. This initiative highlights the department's commitment to ensuring that disaster-affected families and individuals receive food aid quickly and efficiently,” Chua said.

Aside from FFPs, the DSWD has also prepared 23,175 non-food items.

Authorities have been issuing flood advisories for Eastern Visayas since Wednesday due to the impact of the storm. (PNA)