MANILA – Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Tuesday lauded the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) for its effective preemptive evacuation of residents in areas along the path of Typhoon Nika.
In a press conference at Malacañang in Manila, Remulla highlighted the collaborative efforts of the OCD and other agencies, including the Departments of Public Works and Highways, National Defense, and Social Welfare and Development with the DILG.
The agencies were tasked to execute a rapid response plan for Nika and two more approaching tropical cyclones, Ofel and Pepito.
“We took proactive steps because the storm was set to arrive Monday morning. Thank you to the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) which identified the geohazard areas. We instructed all the governors and mayors to preemptively move people, and over 8,000 households were evacuated,” Remulla, who is also National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council vice chair for disaster preparedness, said.
He noted that 50 to 60 percent of the houses of the 8,000 affected families were completely destroyed by heavy rains and felled trees.
Remulla also emphasized that without the local officials’ insistence on proactive evacuation, there would have been more casualties.
“The team worked really well. My hats off to the OCD for a great job,” he added.
In response to reports regarding flooding in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, Remulla clarified that the flooding was not caused by the release of water from dams but due to water runoff from the mountains triggered by Nika.
Nika weakened into a tropical storm before it exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility at 2 p.m. Monday.
Meanwhile, Ofel (international name Usagi) has intensified into a severe tropical storm and is forecast to make landfall over the east coast of Cagayan or Isabela on Thursday. (PNA)