CARAGA Disaster Council Convenes Ahead of TD “Marce” Landfall

The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) CARAGA through its Pre Disaster Risk Assessment (PDRA) Core Team convened for a meeting on Thursday at the RDRRMC/OCD Emergency Operations Center here in preparation for the onslaught of Tropical Depression (TD) Marce.

Engr. Lolita Vinalay of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said that TD Marce is expected to make landfall over Surigao del Norte this afternoon or early evening.

“Caraga region is expected to experience heavy rains and gusty winds this afternoon until evening as TD Marce will make landfall over Surigao del Norte,” Vinalay said.

She also presented the hazard impacts analysis and rainfall forecast of TD Marce. Also, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) presented the Operation LISTO (hotdog track) that shows the five provinces – Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Dinagat Islands as among the areas to be affected by TD Marce.

Jeffrey Ramo of DILG also bared that they have already issued an office order for the reactivation of the Regional Disaster Monitoring and Reporting System effective Wednesday. The Department of Health (DOH) has also raised its alert status to code white alert as part of its preparations for any eventualities that maybe caused by TD Marce.

Medicines and jerry cans are now prepositioned. They are also doing 24/7 monitoring for possible evacuees. For inquiries on road status/conditions, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) also encouraged the public to report and ask inquiries through their hotline at (085) 815-4805.

As of 10:00 a.m. today, the water level in Agusan River is still normal with 1.08m. The Caraga RDRRMC Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is now on Red Alert Status (24/7 monitoring) in anticipation of an imminent emergency situation. The status requires response agency staffing at the RDRRMOC and immediate interagency coordination.

This is based on the approved and adopted RDRRMC Standard Operating Procedures. Meanwhile, the province of Agusan del Norte issued Executive Order No. 26 signed by governor Ma. Angelica Rosedell M. Amante-Matba Local DRRMCs, Incident Command System, PDRRMC Operation Center, ADNERT, HERU, ERAT are now activated.

The local DRRMCs in the municipalities of Las Nieves, Jabonga and Magallanes in the province of Agusan del Norte have already suspended their preschool, elementary and secondary classes.

The meeting was attended by the representatives from the Department of Science and Technology, DILG, Department of Social Welfare and Development, National Economic and Development Authority, DOST-PAGASA, DPWH, DOH, Philippine Information Agency, Philippine Naional Police, Bureau of Fire Protection and 4th Civil Military Operations Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, Phil. Army. (NCLM/PIA-Caraga)