NDRRMC: Parts of Visayas, Mindanao areas 'under extreme risk' due to Odette

Some areas in the Visayas and Mindanao have been placed under "extreme risk category"due to Typhoon Odette's expected onslaught on Thursday, the Office of the Civil Defense has said.

According to PAGASA, Typhoon Odette could make landfall in the vicinity of Caraga or Eastern Samar on Thursday afternoon or evening.

Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) Chief Operations Center Joe-Mar Perez said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) had ordered disaster risk councils to activate the highest emergency protocol at Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen, and Caraga.

"Ni-require po natin na iactivate ang Charlie Protocol.  Ito ang highest emergency preparedness," Perez said at the NDRRMC's online press briefing on preparations for Typhoon Odette.

[We required them to activate Charlie Protocol. The highest emergency preparedness.]

Under the NDRRMC policy, the checklist of actions under Charlie Protocol include warning messages, activation of DRRMCs and raising to red alert, periodical situational reports, and the activation, mobilization and prepositioning of inter-agency response teams..

Calabarzon, BARMM, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Bicol Region, Zamboanga Peninsula, and  Davao Region have been categorized as under medium risk, which required high priority for action.

Metro Manila, Cordillera Administrative Region and Central Luzon are under the low risk category.

Storm signals

In its 8 p.m. weather bulletin, PAGASA said the center of Odette was spotted at 535 kilometers east of Surigao City, Surigao del Norte or 445 km East of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur.

It has maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometer per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 160 kph.

Odette was moving westward at 20 kph, according to PAGASA.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 has been raised over the following areas:

Visayas

• central and southern portions of Eastern Samar (Guiuan, Salcedo, Quinapondan, Giporlos, Balangiga, Lawaan, General Macarthur, Hernani, Llorente, Balangkayan, Maydolong, City of Borongan, San Julian, Sulat, Taft, Can-Avid)
• central and southern portions of Samar (Marabut, Basey, Santa Rita, Villareal, Pinabacdao, Calbiga, Hinabangan, Paranas, Motiong, Jiabong, City of Catbalogan, San Sebastian, Zumarraga, Daram, Talalora)
• Biliran (Biliran, Cabucgayan, Caibiran, Culaba, Almeria, Naval, Kawayan) Leyte
• northern and central portions of Cebu (San Fernando, City of Naga, Toledo City, Balamban, Asturias, Minglanilla, City of Talisay, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Cordova, Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela, Danao City, Carmen, Tuburan, Catmon, Sogod, Tabuelan, Borbon, Tabogon, San Remigio, City of Bogo, Medellin, Daanbantayan, Bantayan Islands, Santa Fe, Camotes Islands)
• Bohol

Mindanao        

• Surigao del Norte
• Surigao del Sur
• Dinagat Islands
• Agusan del Sur
• Agusan del Norte
• Bukidnon (Impasug-Ong, Malitbog)
• eastern portion of Misamis Oriental (Villanueva, Jasaan, Claveria, Balingasag, Lagonglong, Salay, Medina, Gingoog City, Magsaysay, Talisayan, Balingoan, Kinoguitan, Sugbongcogon, Binuangan), and Camiguin

PAGASA said under TCWS No. 1 are:

Luzon

• Catanduanes
• Camarines Sur
• Albay
• Sorsogon
• Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands
• Marinduque
• Romblon
• southern portion of Quezon (San Antonio, Tiaong, Candelaria, Sariaya, Dolores, Lucena City, Pagbilao, Padre Burgos, Atimonan, Agdangan, Unisan, Gumaca, Plaridel, Pitogo, Lopez, Guinayangan, Buenavista, Catanauan, General Luna, Macalelon, Mulanay, San Narciso, San Andres, San Francisco)
• southwestern portion of Batangas (San Juan, Lobo, Taysan, Rosario, Padre Garcia)
• Oriental Mindoro
• Occidental Mindoro
• northern portion of Palawan (San Vicente, Roxas, Taytay, Dumaran, Araceli, El Nido, Calamian Islands, Cuyo Islands, Cagayancillo Islands)

Visayas

• Northern Samar
• rest of Eastern Samar
• rest of Samar
• rest of Cebu
• Negros Oriental
• Negros Occidental
• Siquijor
• Iloilo
• Capiz
•  Aklan
• Guimaras
• Antique
• Mindanao
• northern portion of Davao Oriental (Boston, Cateel)
• northern portion of Davao de Oro (Monkayo, Compostela, Montevista, Laak)
• northern portion of Davao del Norte (San Isidro, Kapalong)
• rest of Misamis Oriental
• Misamis Occidental
• northwestern and central portions of Bukidnon (Talakag, Lantapan, City of Valencia, City of Malaybalay, San Fernando, Cabanglasan, Manolo Fortich, Sumilao, Libona, Baungon)
• northern portion of Lanao del Norte (Baroy, Tubod, Kolambugan, Magsaysay, Tangcal, Munai, Maigo, Bacolod, Kauswagan, Poona Piagapo, Pantao Ragat, Matungao, Baloi, Iligan City, Linamon, Tagoloan, Pantar)
• northern portion of Lanao del Sur (Madalum, Bacolod-Kalawi, Tugaya, Balindong, Piagapo, Saguiaran, Marantao, Marawi City, Kapai, Tagoloan II, Bubong, Ditsaan-Ramain, Buadiposo-Buntong)
• northern portion of Zamboanga del Norte (Labason, Kalawit, Tampilisan, Liloy, Salug, Godod, Bacungan, Sindangan, Siayan, Jose Dalman, Manukan, Pres. Manuel A. Roxas, Katipunan, Sergio Osmeña Sr., Dipolog City, Polanco, Piñan, Mutia, La Libertad, Dapitan City, Sibutad, Rizal)
• northern portion of Zamboanga del Sur (Dumingag, Ramon Magsaysay, Midsalip, Sominot, Mahayag, Molave, Josefina, Tambulig)

Standby resources

To ensure that families will be given relief during the typhoon, Perez said they have prepared P331,898,067 worth of food and non-food items for Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen and Caraga.

Perez said there are also assets prepared for search and rescue and retrieval operations.

The following is the breakdown of units for search and rescue:

• 3,175 - SRR teams
• 558 - land assets
• 281 -  sea assets
• 8 - air assets

During the press briefing, NDRRMC Chief Ricardo Jalad said these standby resources would be enough for relief operations.

He also said there are remaining funds in the agency's 2021 budget which can be used to augment disaster response.

"Mayroong sapat na pondo, sapat na supplies. 'Yung pondo ating ibibigyan ng karagdagang supplies and base sa report kanina on balances ng disaster risk reduction management fund, mayroon pang natitira galing sa budget ng 2021," said Jalad.

[There are enough funds, supplies. Based on the report, we have balances and remaining funds from 2021 in our risk reduction management fund.]

Preemptive evacuation

As for the preemptive evacuation, 39 families or 72 individuals in Western Visayas have so far fled their homes and were moved to evacuation centers, said Perez.

He added that they are still collecting data on the number of evacuees in other regions. —With a report from Richa Noriega/NB, GMA News