The wide, popular reach of social networking sites was put to good use as local authorities utilized Facebook and Twitter in disseminating storm-related information the past few days.
The municipal government of Medellin, one of the towns under storm signal no. 2, reposts weather bulletins from state weather bureau Pagasa on its Facebook page. The account administrator also interacts with residents and those who have families in the town on matters affecting their hometown. It recently posted a 28-minute video showing the town plaza getting buffeted by strong winds.
The Cebu provincial government meanwhile gives regular updates on situations in towns and cities through its twitter account @cebugovph while the Public Information Office of Mandaue City Hall give updates via Facebook.