Gov't ready for "Bising" - Palace
Malacanang assured on Sunday that the concerned government agencies have prepared for the Typhoon "Bising," which slightly weakened and decelerated while moving west-northwest over the Philippine Sea east of Catanduanes.
In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Palace continues to monitor the situation.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has already conducted pre-disaster risk assessments at the national level and issued guidance and advisories for the early preparation of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (RDRRMCs) and the local government units (LGUs) since Wednesday.
Pre-emptive evacuation has been carried out in Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Northern and Eastern Samar, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has standby funds of P556,438,277.65 in its Central Office and Field Offices and stockpiles consisting of 370,058 family food packs amounting to P188,605,445.38, as of Saturday.
The Department of Health (DOH) has assured that it has dedicated teams looking into the impact of any disaster, especially in monitoring the evacuation centers in relation to COVID-19 protocol; the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has prepositioned all response assistance and instructed all Unified Commands to assist RDRRMCs in pre-emptive evacuation and other relevant operations; the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has activated nine regions, reiterating the use of OPLAN LISTO and LGU assistance to response operations.
“Our concern is the safety of everyone. We therefore ask our people to remain alert and vigilant, cooperate with authorities and continue to observe minimum public health standards for protection against COVID-19,” Roque said.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Bising has slightly weakened and decelerated while moving west-northwest over the Philippine Sea east of Catanduanes.
In its latest bulletin, Pagasa said Bising was last spotted 290km east of Virac, Catanduanes with maximum sustained winds of 205 kph and gusts up to 250 kph.
It is moving west northwestward at 15 kph.
Pagasa said the typhoon will begin to move slowly northwestward over the Philippine Sea east of Bicol Region until tomorrow early morning.
“The typhoon will then move generally northward until Tuesday afternoon before turning north northwestward while over the Philippine Sea east of Cagayan Valley,” it said.
“By Wednesday early morning, the typhoon is forecast to turn northeastward or east northeastward away from the landmass of Luzon,” it added.
The weather bureau said due to the uncertainty in the track forecast of the typhoon, a westward shift in the current forecast track may result in potentially significant impacts over the eastern portions of Southern Luzon and Visayas.
“The possibility of a close approach scenario is not ruled out. The typhoon is forecast to gradually weaken throughout the forecast period,” Pagasa said.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) number 2 is up over Catanduanes, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar and Samar while TCWS number 1 is hoisted over the eastern portion of Camarines Norte (San Lorenzo Ruiz, San Vicente, Vinzons, Talisay, Daet, Mercedes, Basud), Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, and Masbate including Burias and Ticao Islands; Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, and the northern portion of Cebu (Tabogon, Borbon, San Remigio, Bogo City, Medellin, Daanbantayan) including Bantayan and Camotes Islands; Dinagat Islands, Siargao Islands, and Bucas Grande Islands.
Pagasa said Bising will bring moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over Eastern Visayas and Bicol Region and on Monday moderate to heavy with at times intense rains will be experienced over Bicol Region and Northern Samar. Ella Dionisio/DMS
