PREPARING FOR 'AMBO'. Members of the Sorsogon Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council attend an emergency meeting on Tuesday (May 12, 2020) in preparation for Tropical Storm Ambo. PAGASA had projected that Ambo would hit Sorsogon on Thursday with heavy rains. (Photo courtesy of the Sorsogon Provincial Information Office)
SORSOGON CITY – Vehicles transiting to Visayas and Mindanao would not be allowed entry into Sorsogon province starting Wednesday as precautionary measure due to an approaching storm.
This was announced by the Office of the Governor as part of precautionary measures in anticipation of Tropical Storm Ambo (International name "Vongfong").
A post in the official Facebook page of the Sorsogon Provincial Information Office (PIO) said the ban aims to avoid congestion of vehicles at the Matnog port. Vehicles would be held at the Putiao border checkpoint starting at noontime onwards, it added.
The move was part of the contingency measures agreed upon during the emergency meeting of the Sorsogon Provincial Disaster Risk-Reduction and Management Council (SPDRRMC) held Tuesday at the SPDRRMC building here.
Long queues of stranded vehicles had become a recurring scene along Sorsogon highways during typhoons, which last for days.
The PIO post said the entry ban would be enforced even without an official directive from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
To assist marooned passengers, the SPDRRMC had decided to set up soup kitchens and will distribute food packs.
Price freeze on basic goods would also be strictly imposed, the council said.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) had projected that Ambo could hit Sorsogon on Thursday, May 14, bringing heavy rains.
The SPDRRMC had advised municipal and barangay DRRMCs to immediately convene and activate disaster management plans. (PNA)
