- GILBERT BAYORAN
Negros Occidental is among the five provinces in Western Visayas identified by the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC) 6 as high risk areas for the possible impact of Tropical Storm Paeng.
In an advisory, the RDRRMC said that Negros Occidental, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Iloilo are on Charlie Protocol, or have the highest EPR (Emergency Preparedness and Response Protocol) in connection with the current weather disturbance.
The highly-urbanized cities of Bacolod and Iloilo, as well as Guimaras, are on Standby Protocol as they are identified as low risk.
Under the Charlie Protocol, local government units have to activate the majority or all their response clusters, ensure operational readiness of critical lifelines, pre-emptively or forcibly conduct evacuation, recommend work or class suspension, and issue appropriate advisory and contingency plans, among others.
During a pre-disaster risk assessment meeting, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau also identified 1,808 barangays in the region that are susceptible to flooding and landslide.
In an advisory Thursday, RDRRMC chairperson Roberto Nuñez urged concerned disaster risk reduction and management offices to “take all necessary measures to protect life and property.”
“Persons living in areas identified to be highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards are advised to follow evacuation and other instructions from local officials,” Nuñez said./GB
