''Kristine'' expected to affect 30 million Filipinos
Tropical Depression ''Kristine'' may affect around 30 million Filipinos in different parts of the country as it is expected to intensify into a typhoon before it makes landfall over the northeastern portion of Cagayan on Friday.
Civil Defense Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno issued on Monday an urgent call for heightened preparedness, noting a significant increase in the projected impact of ''Kristine'' from an earlier estimate of one million to approximately 30 million individuals.
He noted that this increase underscores the cyclone's potential to affect a vast population from Luzon to Mindanao.
“According to the latest forecast from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the number of potential victims has surged to 30 million. This is a considerable population at risk, and we need all hands on deck to mitigate the impacts of this disaster,” he said.
The Office of Civil Defense noted that based on the report from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) "over 18,000 barangays are at risk of rain-induced landslides and floods, particularly in Central Visayas, Cordillera Administrative Region, Eastern Visayas, Ilocos Region, Mimaropa, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen, Western Visayas, and Zamboanga Peninsula".
"In Metro Manila, 1,403 barangays are also vulnerable to landslide and flood hazards due to Kristine, including areas in Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, Pasay, Pateros, Las Pinas, Makati, Muntinlupa, Paranaque, Taguig, Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Pasig, San Juan, and Manila," the OCD stated.
The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) in Bicol Region raised its Alert Level status to red as of 10 am after its provinces were placed under tropical cyclone wind signal number one early Monday.
"This escalation places the entire region under the Charlie or High Risk protocol in anticipation of the impacts from Tropical Depression Kristine," the OCD in Region V said.
Claudio Yucot, director of the Office of Civil Defense for the Bicol Region and chairperson of the RDRRMC, issued a memorandum early Monday directing all member agencies, along with provincial and local disaster risk reduction and management councils, to implement the measures outlined in the Charlie protocol.
It noted that "the Charlie protocol signifies the highest state of emergency preparedness, necessitating immediate action from both the RDRRMC and Local DRRMCs to protect communities and ensure an effective and timely response."
"The response clusters of the RDRRMC have been activated, including the Health Cluster, Food and Non-Food Items, Camp Coordination and Management, Emergency Telecommunications, Law and Order, Logistics, Search, Rescue, and Retrieval, Debris Clearing, Strategic Communication, Early Recovery, and Management of the Dead and the Missing. These clusters are being coordinated by various regional government agencies," it added.
Due to ''Kristine'', the entire Bicol Region is expected to experience moderate to heavy rainfall in the coming days. Robina Asido/DMS
