South Negros LGUs prepare for ‘Odette’

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  • MITCH M. LIPA

The Kabankalan City government is on high alert in preparation for severe tropical storm “Odette” that is expected to cross the southern Negros Thursday evening.

Mayor Pedro Zayco presided over the meeting, and ordered an inventory and restocking of family food packs in case of evacuation, aside from the 1,700 relief goods on standby at the City Social Welfare and Development Office.

City Administrator Sixto Garaygay said all the 32 barangays of Kabankalan have been alerted since most of them are prone to landslide and flashfloods, as per the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

The Kabankalan City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council convened to prepare for the arrival of “Odette”.

Each barangay has an identified evacuation center/s.

All responders have also been activated and the scheduled leaves of members of the DRRMO were cancelled. In terms of logistics, Garaygay said all assets are operational and ready for deployment.

Cloudy skies with light rains were being experienced in Kabankalan this afternoon.

In Cauayan, Mayor John Rey Tabujara said he already convened the members of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and ordered their Municipal Social Welfare Office to pack 2,000 relief goods as standby food aid.

He also reactivated the DRRMC in the barangay level, and ordered to initiate massive information campaign about the coming storm so that the residents will be updated.

Cauayan was identified by the PDRRMO as one of the LGUs with the most number of barangays that have very high possibility of landslide and flashfloods.

Residents in coastline barangays were also alerted to make preemptive evacuation, in case of storm surges.

Tabujara said most of the big barangays in the town are in the coastline, with fishing as the main source of livelihood.

These are barangays Guilungan, Tiling, Inayawan, and Poblacion, and the mayor said these areas experienced flooding early this year.

All LGUs in the fifth and sixth districts of Negros Occidental will most likely be affected by the rain band of the storm, based on forecast. — MML