76 emergency alerts, warnings issued prior to ‘Ulysses’ landfall

FILE: Aerial photo shows the aftermath of Typhoon Ulysses along Cagayan Valley. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte conducted aerial inspections of severely affected areas in Cagayan Valley and Bicol Region on November 15, 2020. ARCEL VALDERRAMA/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA – About 76 emergency alert and warning messages on top of preemptive evacuation directives were issued before Typhoon Ulysses made landfall in Luzon, an official of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Sunday.

“Prior to the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses or days before it made landfall, we conducted a series of meetings. We issued preemptive evacuation instructions,” said NDRRMC Executive Director and Civil Defense Administrator Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad during a situation briefing presided by President Rodrigo Duterte in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

Jalad said the NDRRMC, in coordination with the country’s telecommunication giants, have issued emergency alerts and up-to-date information to keep the public informed.

“And we also emphasized the cascading of information down to the community through other means such as utilizing the communication system of the uniformed services — the PNP, AFP — as well as to cascade information house-to-house or bandillo,” Jalad added.

Jalad said an aerial rapid assessment was conducted in Metro Manila and Region 2 (Cagayan Valley).

Jalad said the NDRRMC deployed search and rescue teams composed of almost 4,000 personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection and Philippine Coast Guard to conduct disaster response operations in typhoon-hit areas in Cagayan Valley.

“And our efforts saved or rescued 83,667 individuals,” he added. “(About) 44,000 individuals were provided with relief services and 28,000 with medical services.”

Whole-of-government operations

Meanwhile, Dir. Harold Cabreros, head of Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) in Region 2, said the “whole-of-government” relief and rescue operations were immediately conducted in Cagayan Valley in the wake of Ulysses’ onslaught.

Affected residents were provided with family food packs, medicines, hygiene kits, and other basic needs, he said.

“We have deployed 4,799 personnel for search, rescue, and retrieval operations,” Cabreros said.

The national and local governments are working together to conduct road clearing and cleaning operations, according to Cabreros.

The OCD has deployed rapid damage assessment and needs analysis teams to determine various requirements needed in the implementation of early recovery programs.

Cabreros said different national agencies including the Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Social Welfare and Development and the National Housing Authority are now discussing and evaluating programs to assist various communities and its residents recover from the impacts of the typhoons.

Bogus donation drives

As the government ramps up its efforts to deliver relief assistance and rescue more residents that were heavily affected by the massive flooding caused by “Ulysses”, the OCD warned the public against fake donation drives and efforts run by opportunist individuals.

In an advisory, the OCD said those who wish to help typhoon-hit individuals to be wary against bogus solicitation and crowdfunding.

According to the OCD, there are some fake donation drives on social media which prey on generous donors to help residents hard-hit by the series of typhoons that battered the country.

They are also deceitfully targeting more donors to gain more funds that will not actually be given directly to the typhoon victims.

OCD advised the public to make sure the donation drives have a “proven track record” in terms of community and donation services.

“Huwag pong hayaang masayang o mapunta sa mali ang inyong tulong (Don’t let your help go to waste),” the advisory posted.

Those who wish to donate for the typhoon-affected families may coordinate with NDRRMC Donations Focal through contacting cellphone number 0917-827-5743.