CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga— Classes in all levels in both public and private schools were suspended on Friday in the entire Central Luzon as the seven provinces in the region have been placed under various tropical cyclone warning signals due to Typhoon "Ompong".
Based on the 8 a.m. severe weather bulletin issued by the weather bureau, northern Aurora is under signal number 3 while Nueva Ecija and Tarlac are now under tropical cyclone warning signal no. 2 while the provinces of Pampanga, Bataan, Zambales, Bulacan were placed under tropical cyclone warning signal no. 1.
As part of the precautionary measures against the continuous threat of "Ompong", the local government units of Nueva Ecija, Bulacan and Aurora also suspended work in both public and private offices, except those involved in the delivery of basic and health services, disaster preparedness, and other vital services.
Local officials of Pampanga and Tarlac, on the other hand, suspended work in public offices only while the suspension of work in private offices and companies is left to the discretion of their employers.
RDRRMC Chairperson and Office of Civil Defense Regional Director Marlou Salazar said concerned members of the disaster councils in Central Luzon were ordered to undertake precautionary measures and other disaster response activities.
“All local disaster risk reduction and management councils in the region were also advised to disseminate typhoon advisories and warnings through SMS, as well as through local radio and television stations,” Salazar said.
He said emergency response teams are on standby, along with search-and-rescue equipment and personnel.
Concerned government agencies and local government units in the region have also prepared food supplies, medicines and disaster response equipment and teams in anticipation of evacuation and other emergencies, he added.
The Police Regional Office 3 has already activated its disaster incident management group to ensure the availability of resources and personnel for possible disaster response operations.
The Philippine Army’s 7th Infantry Division has also prepared equipment and personnel for disaster operations.
On the other hand, The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 3 has prepositioned some 8,000 family food packs.
The Department of Health has also pre-positioned assorted medicines and health emergency management-related logistics in all seven provinces of Central Luzon.
The Department of Public Works and Highways Regional Office 3, meanwhile, pre-positioned all assets like heavy equipment, manpower and all logistical needs on strategic locations.
Salazar also said that concerned government agencies and local disaster councils are closely monitoring the water level in major dams and rivers in the region for possible flash floods and landslides that may be caused by heavy to intense rainfall.
Meanwhile, he asked the public to keep monitoring the weather reports.
“We are reminding everyone to do all the necessary actions in preparation for the possible effects of typhoon Ompong,” he added.(PNA)
