CEBU CITY, Philippines — With Typhoon Tisoy expected to draw nearer in the next hours, the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CPDRRMO) appealed to fisherfolk to heed weather advisories and not set out to the sea until the weather improves.
PDRRM Division Head Neil Angelo Sanchez said in a live interview with CDN Digital on Monday morning, December 2, 2019, that fisherfolk should always put safety first.
Read: Air, sea travels suspended due to Typhoon Tisoy
“Anyway, what is one day that you’ll miss rather than compromising your safety?” Sanchez said in the live interview posted on CDN Digital’s Facebook page.
Watch the full interview here:
Sanchez said they have set up round-the-clock monitoring on Typhoon Tisoy since November 30, 2019, and cascaded it to the local DRRM offices in towns.
Read: 20 areas in Cebu now under Signal 1; LGUs urged to conduct preventive evacuation in high risk areas
Read: Metro, northern Cebu under Signal No. 1; Tisoy to draw nearest to Cebu on Monday afternoon
Read: Alert up vs Typhoon Tisoy; Cebu Capitol suspends classes in public schools in 25 areas
Governor Gwendolyn Garcia earlier announced the suspension of pre-school to high school classes for Monday for the towns in the northern Cebu due to the anticipated effects of Typhoon Tisoy.
Class suspensions for pre-school to elementary levels are also in effect in Metro Cebu.
Sanchez said local government units that are not covered by the Capitol’s suspension of classes may implement a localize declaration based on their local risk assessment.
The PDRRM council is set to meet this afternoon for the Pre-Disaster Response Assessment to layout response plans to the effects of the typhoon.
Northern and Metro Cebu are currently under Storm Warning Signal No. 1, according to the 8 a.m. severe weather bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
Engineer Alfredo Quiblat Jr., chief of Pagasa Visayas, said Tisoy is expected to draw closest to Cebu this afternoon. This means that the remaining parts of the province may also experience the effect of the typhoon.
At 7 a.m., Typhoon Tisoy is about 275 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes and continues to move west at 20 kilometers per hour while maintaining the strength of 150 kph and gustiness of 185 kph.
Sanchez called on the LDRRM officers to implement early evacuation for residents in high-risk areas to minimize the risks in their localities.
Signal No. 3 has been hoisted in Catanduanes, eastern portion of Camarines Sur, Albay and northern portion of Sorsogon.
Signal No. 2 is also up in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Southern Aurora, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Rizal, Quezon including Polillo Islands, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Camarines Norte, rest of Camarines Sur, rest of Sorsogon, Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar and Biliran.
Pagasa also issued a storm surge warning in the areas of Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Quezon, Camarines Norte, and Samar.
Aside from Metro and Northern Cebu, the towns in Southern Isabela, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Quirino, rest of Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pampanga, Zambales, Bataan, Calamian Islands, Aklan, Capiz, Antique, Guimaras, Iloilo, northern portion of Negros Occidental, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Dinagat Island and Siargao islands are also under Signal no. 1.
A Yellow Warning has also been declared in Eastern Samar, Samar, Leyte, Biliran, Southern Leyte, and Dinagat Island this morning. This means that the areas are currently experiencing heavy rainfall. /bmjo