2 LOW PRESSURE AREAS THREATEN SOCCSKSARGEN

THE Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and ManagementOperations Center 12 (RDRRMOpCen) has raised its alert status to blue in Soccsksargen Region effective 5 p.m., Friday, as “preparedness action” in connection with two low pressure areas (LPAs) that had been detected by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

Socccsksargen groups South Cotabato, Cotabato City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City.

The move was a result of the RDRRMC’s Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment (PDRA) Analyst Group virtual meeting held also on Friday presided by RDRRMC 12 Chairman and Office of Civil Defense Regional Director Raylindo Aniñon.

Explaining the rationale of the meeting, Aniñon cited NDRRMC Memo 011, Series of 2023, dated February 16, as the basis of the PDRA Analyst Group meeting as it reiterates the importance for the RDRRMC’s preparations for the low-pressure areas spotted east of Northern Mindanao and east of Western Mindanao, and other current weather disturbances.

During the meeting, Binrio Biñan, Pagasa Gensan Station chief, presented a weather forecast where he said Mindanao will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers and thunderstorms brought about by the LPAs.

Biñan said rains that usually fall in the afternoon may range from light to moderate and may continue until Monday, causing possible flash floods and landslides in some parts of Region 12, especially in already vulnerable areas.

Tristan de la Cruz of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau 12, in his presentation, said a “ground saturation” is evident in some parts of the provinces of Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato and Sarangani caused by persistent rainfall since February 13.

Meanwhile, Department of Social Welfare and Development 12-DRRM Program focal person Naira Aratuc, presenting her agency’s preparation efforts, said they have prepared family food packs already at the city governments of Kidapawan and Tacurong, including the municipalities of Alabel, Sarangani; Pikit, Cotabato; Tboli, South Cotabato; and Bagumbayan, Kalamansig and Palimbang, all in Sultan Kudarat.

The agency, she also said, is expecting additional deliveries of 68,200 family food packs from their national resource logistics office, which will be arriving anytime soon.

Aniñon urged RDRRMC-12 member agencies, especially the response cluster, to be prepared and vigilant and for all local DRRM officers (LDRRMO) in the provinces and municipalities to take preemptive measures to ensure the safety of their respective constituents.

As a response, the LDRRMOs said they will be adopting the blue alert status initiated by the RDRRM-OpCen in their respective operations centers.

In his memorandum for the declaration of the blue alert status, Aniñon stated that all concerned RDRRMC-12 member agencies and LDRRMCs are advised to closely monitor the situation and to ensure prompt coordination with concerned agencies and offices.

He urged them to undertake appropriate measures and respond to any related incident/s and to immediately report these to the RDRRMOpCen.