Bishop Joel Baylon of the Diocese of Legazpi. (PNA file photo)
LEGAZPI CITY – Bishop Joel Baylon of the Diocese of Legazpi has called on parish priests to help the provincial government prepare for Tropical Storm Ambo, which is expected to hit Albay province on Thursday night.
“As the local government units and communities are now preparing for the typhoon, I urge our parish priests to offer their churches, hall or other safe spaces, and chapels as additional evacuation centers in view of social distancing measures, which mean lesser number of families to be accommodated in the regular evacuation,” Baylon said on Wednesday.
In a text message, he said the appeal was for the 47 parishes in the province, including the Our Lady of Lourdes in Tabaco and Saint Jude in this city.
Baylon asked parish priests to coordinate with their respective local government units' (LGU) disaster councils as each parish has a unique capacity.
In an interview, Fr. Rex Paul Arjona of the Diocese Social Action Center (SAC) said he presented the proposal and it was approved by the Albay Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).
He said this means LGUs could already include parishes when they plan and implement preemptive evacuation of residents in high-risk areas.
"As we have done in past calamities, we are opening our churches or pastoral centers, halls, and other safe spaces in our parishes. We are also calling on families with safe and spacious enough homes or buildings to let their vulnerable neighbors in during the typhoon," Arjona quoted Baylon as saying.
In its early Wednesday morning forecast, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration said "Ambo" has intensified into a tropical storm, with maximum sustained winds of 85 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 105 kph. It was moving north-northwest with a speed of 15 kph.
Cedric Daep, chief of the Albay Public Safety Emergency and Management Office, said in an interview that strong winds and moderate to heavy rains are expected to prevail once the storm hits the province.
Daep said a PDRRMO advisory has been issued to all local disaster councils in the provinces, advising them to be on alert and to closely monitor the severe weather disturbance in their area.
The PDRRMO said residents in low-lying villages and those living along mountain slopes must be considered for immediate evacuation.
He said he advised local disaster councils to initiate evacuation procedures once 120 kph to 130 kph winds prevail and 130 ml of rains fall as these could trigger flash floods, mud and lahar flow, river swelling, and landslide.
Daep also warned people in coastal villages to be on alert for possible storm surges of 3 meters to 4 meters high brought by 100 kph winds.
He advised farmers to take advantage of the good weather condition prevailing on Wednesday to harvest their crops before “Ambo” hits the province. (PNA)
