Red alert up for Holy Week break; no threats seen

MANILA, Philippines - Operation centers of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and its regional offices will be placed on red alert starting Wednesday as the nation observes the Holy Week.

NDRRMC executive director Eduardo del Rosario yesterday said the alert status would be in place until Monday.

“Our operation center will be fully manned,” he said during a press conference at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

“We will devise a system wherein we can also observe (the Holy Week) on rotation basis,” he said.

Member agencies of the NDRRMC met yesterday to discuss preparedness plans as they expect an exodus of people to the provinces next week.

The Armed Forces said it did not detect any threat that could disrupt the Holy Week.

Military forces, however, vowed to be vigilant to prevent terrorist groups from staging attacks and sowing chaos.

Col. Bartolome Bacarro of the Office of the Armed Forces’ deputy chief of staff for operations said they are also ready for the possible effects of natural disasters.

He said security cooperation with the Philippine National Police would be done through the joint peace and security coordinating centers nationwide.

Bacarro said three groups from the Joint Task Force National Capital Region would conduct visibility and security assistance in Metro Manila.

A total of 47 air assets and 40 naval assets are also ready to perform security missions when needed.

The Land Transportation Office said it has enough manpower to man ports to ensure public safety. Port managers, operators and police would not be allowed to file leaves of absence to ensure adequate number of personnel.

The Maritime Industry Authority, for its part, vowed to ensure strict compliance of a policy requiring passengers to first disembark from their vehicles and be processed at the terminal building before proceeding to the vessel.

The agency will also monitor the validity of vessel and crew documents, safety requirements and navigational equipment.

The Philippine Coast Guard has ordered its district and substations to activate assistance centers in areas where heavy influx of passengers is expected.

The transportation department said it would inspect buses for road worthiness and franchise documents and continue the drive against unregistered vehicles.

It also vowed to implement heightened security inside and within the immediate vicinity of seaport premises through the deployment of additional port security officers.

Fast lanes will also be established at seaport screening areas for passengers with minimal belongings.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and airport authorities would provide additional seats around terminal buildings for the convenience of passengers.

Other measures to be implemented include random airport facility inspections and drug and alcohol testing of flight crew working for commercial operators.

Rainy Holy Week

A rainy Holy Week is expected in many parts of the Visayas and Southern Luzon due to a low-pressure area lingering over Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, the state weather bureau said yesterday.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the Visayas, Mimaropa and the Bicol region will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms on Palm Sunday and Holy Monday as the low-pressure area is expected to cross the Visayas.

The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies in the afternoon or evening with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

The low-pressure area was forecast to be in the vicinity of Palawan by Holy Tuesday and gradual improvement of weather is expected over Eastern and Central Visayas.

However, Western Visayas, Mimaropa, Calabarzon and Metro Manila will be cloudy with scattered light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms.

The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

From Holy Wednesday to Good Friday, the whole country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies in the afternoon or evening with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

The low-pressure area, which at one point intensified into Tropical Storm Domeng, is expected to dissipate after crossing Palawan within the forecast period, PAGASA said.

It was spotted at 500 kilometers east northeast of Hinatuan as of 4 p.m. yesterday. – With Helen Flores