By CESAR JOLITO III
Government agencies across the Negros Island Region (NIR) have intensified pre-disaster preparedness measures as Tropical Storm “Basyang” is expected to bring heavy rainfall today, prompting authorities to place the entire region under red alert status.
Donato Sermeno III, director of the Office of Civil Defense – NIR, said a pre-disaster risk assessment was conducted on Wednesday, February 4, to anticipate the storm’s potential impact, particularly flooding due to “Basyang’s” wide rain band.
“We have already required agencies under the response clusters to submit readiness reports. Sea travel has been suspended in three provinces in the region, and a memorandum declaring red alert status for the entire NIR has been issued to guide local disaster risk reduction management offices,” Sermeno said.
He added that local government units were advised to implement preemptive evacuations in flood-prone areas.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development-led response cluster has been activated, with food and non-food items already prepositioned for quick deployment.
Flooding remains a major concern, especially in the northern portion of Negros Island, which recently experienced inundation during the shear line event.
“Given the expected volume of rainfall, flooding is among our primary watch points,” Sermeno noted.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said “Basyang” slightly intensified yesterday, packing maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center, and gustiness of up to 90 kph.
It is moving west-northwest at 25 kph.
Pagasa said after “Basyang” crossed Mindanao, it is likely to emerge over the Bohol Sea on Friday morning, February 6, and may pass close to or make another landfall over Siquijor and the southern portion of Negros Oriental by afternoon to evening.
By Friday night or Saturday, February 7, it will emerge over the Sulu Sea, then traverse the northern portion of Palawan between Saturday afternoon and evening.
Class suspension
As part of precautionary measures, the Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office reported the suspension of classes in several local government units across Negros Occidental.
Classes were suspended from February 5 to 6 in the cities of Cadiz, Silay, Talisay, San Carlos, Bago, La Carlota, and Himamaylan, as well as the towns of Hinigaran, Isabela, La Castellana, Cauayan, Hinoba-an, E.B. Magalona, Pontevedra, and Pulupandan.
Binalbagan and Manapla suspended classes on February 5; Moises Padilla and Toboso declared suspension on February 6; while Calatrava canceled in-person classes from February 6 to 9.
Lahar flow unlikely
Meanwhile, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) assured the public that lahar flow from Kanlaon Volcano is unlikely at this time.
Mari-Andylene Quintia, resident volcanologist at the Phivolcs – Kanlaon Volcano Observatory, said ash emissions recorded on Wednesday, February 4, were minimal.
“The ash generated was small, and we did not receive reports of ash fall in nearby communities. Lahar usually occurs when ash deposits are thick or voluminous,” Quintia explained.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture in NIR also urged farmers to take early precautionary measures.
Regional Director Albert Barrogo advised farmers to harvest crops early if possible, check livestock conditions, and move animals, farm equipment, and machinery to higher ground to minimize potential losses from flooding./CJ, WDJ