2.8K families affected by ‘Quinta’: NDRRMC

MANILA – The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Monday announced that 2,823 families in four regions have so far been affected by Typhoon “Quinta”.

In a statement, NDRRMC executive director Ricardo Jalad said the affected families are from Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Meanwhile, 1,493 families are now staying in 68 evacuation centers while 968 families are being aided outside.

The agency has yet to receive any reports on deaths connected to the typhoon.

However, the Bicol Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has reported that 12 fishermen are missing. They are residents of Barangay Pananogan, Bato town; Barangay Cagdarao, Panganiban town; and Barangay Poblacion District III, Gigmoto town; all in Catanduanes.

Rescue operations are now being conducted by the Philippine Coast Guard.

Also, the NDRRMC said 11 flooding incidents were reported in the provinces of Laguna, Camarines Sur, Negros Occidental, Samar, and Apayao while seven landslide incidents were reported in Laguna, Aklan, Samar, and Apayao.

Quinta also damaged the Caraycaray Detour Bridge in Naval, Biliran. The NDRRMC said that the Department of Public Works and Highways personnel in the area have installed warning signs and assessing the condition of the bridge.

Quinta has also affected 33 roads in Cagayan, Laguna, Rizal, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Catanduanes, and Apayao.

The NDRRMC and Regional DRRM Councils are closely monitoring the situation in the affected areas.

Meanwhile, NDRRMC-member agencies including the Department of the Interior and Local Government beforehand have released guidelines to the local government units on the activation of the disaster online reporting and monitoring system (DORMs) for “Quinta”, and also recommended pre-emptive evacuation from flood, landslide, storm surge, and lahar-prone areas.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development Central Office, Field Offices, and National Resource Operations Center (NROC) have already prepositioned family food packs and standby funds worth to PHP890 million ready for deployment to augment the relief operations of the various affected LGUs.

The Bureau of Fire Protection is also monitoring landslide and flood-prone areas and alerted all its personnel for rescue and response activities.

The Southern Luzon Command (Solcom) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines has also put its forces on standby for deployment to support disaster response activities.

Advisories to LGUs covering landslide- and flood-prone areas have been cascaded by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB) as early as October 24, the NDRRMC said.

Affected residents are again advised to remain vigilant, monitor weather updates, and heed warnings from authorities.