Agusan del Norte raises Code Blue status due to TS Dante
By
Doreen Marielle N. Rosales
BUTUAN
CITY, June 1 (PIA) -- The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Council (PDRRMC) of the province of Agusan del Norte has raised a blue alert
status as the entire province and the rest of Caraga Region experience heavy
rains due to Tropical Storm Dante (Choi-wan).
This,
as confirmed at 11:30am of Tuesday, June 1, 2021, by PDRRMO Research and
Planning Development Chief Merry Chris Cabonce during an interview with PIA
Caraga.
Residents
of Barangays Panaytayon and Humilog in the municipality of Remedios T.
Romualdes (RTR) are now evacuating as well as over 60 families in Barangay
Bayabas in Cabadbaran City due to flash floods. Fifteen others were
reportedly also affected in Brgy. La Fraternidad in Tubay but the Municipal
DRRMO is yet to verify.
“On-going
pa kasi ang response actions na ginagawa ng mga municipal DRRM offices. We’re
constantly coordinating with them ngayon for further updates on the said status,”
Cabonce said.
Water
levels have also declined in the national highway passing the municipality of
Tubay in Brgy. Tagmamarkay, which was reportedly impassable as of 9:00am on
Tuesday.
Close
monitoring is still being made by local DRRMOs in affected areas.
Disaster
response
Heavy
rains have started pouring on the evening of Monday, May 31, prompting the
operation centers of all 11 local government units in the province to activate
by then and have begun their monitoring. Resources and relief goods have already
been prepositioned in case of emergency.
On
Tuesday, field monitoring on river tributaries is now being made with rising
water levels being observed. Other LGUs that were not affected by heavy
rainfall are also monitoring their area, especially those near the coast.
The
emergency operations center (EOC) is also convened virtually for continuous
monitoring in light of the restrictions in mobility.
Cabonce
said the PDRRMO has also prepositioned its resources to augment LGUs in need.
Respective EOCs of all LGUs are on standby and can be contacted 24/7.
Despite
all the preparations made by local authorities, the disaster response officer
emphasized the need for the public to be vigilant and listen to local
authorities.
“Magsubaybay
sa mga paligid. Also, adhere to warnings coming from our local government
officials. Kung mayroong mga preemptive evacuation, magparticipate po tayo.
Regularly monitor updates from our social media accounts and those provided by
radio stations kasi kahit hindi tayo directly affected ng bagyong ito,
kailangang magmasid pa rin at maghanda para sa mga emergencies,” she said.
New updates will be provided by the PDRRMO at 5:00pm of Tuesday. (DMNR/PIA-Caraga)
Commit to Quit:
Nagkakaisang Pilipino para sa ‘NO Yosi’
Ang
sigarilyo ay lason sa katawan ng tao. Maraming sakit ang dulot ng patuloy
na paninigarilyo. Lalo na sa panahon ng COVID-19 pandemya, higit na
pinalala ng sigarilyo at adiksyon nito ang tama ng virus sa ating katawan at
kalusugan.
“Mamamatay
ka sa paninigarilyo na walang kaakibat na responsibilidad ang industry ng
tabako na nagbebenta ng masamang produktong ito.‘Nilalason ng sigarilyo pati
ang ating kapaligiran, ang lupa, dagat, hangin, at ang ating mga komunidad at
pamahayanan,” banggit ni Ka Ernesto Ofracio, president ng Aktibong Kilusan
Tungo sa Iisang Bayan (AKTIB).
Ngayong
araw, Mayo 31, ipagdiriwang natin ang World No Tobacco Day. Ang panawagan natin
ay Commit to Quit: Nagkakaisang Pilipino para sa NO Yosi!
Buong
araw ang ihinandang programa na pinagtulungang i-organisa ng Department of
Health (DOH), Department of Education (DepEd), at iba pang ahensya ng pamahalaan,
katuwang ang iba’t ibang barangay, civil society organizations at people’s
organization sa ilalim ng Philippine Smoke-Free Movement (PSFM).
Nagbalangkas
ng programa ang Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM), AKTIB, PUP
SPEAK, Sustainable Development Network Solutions (SDSN-Youth), ImagineLaw, at
iba pa para linawin ang konsepto ng smoke-free at ang masamang epekto ng
sigarilyo at iba pang produktong tabako sa ating kalusugan at kapaligiran.
Ang
PSFM ay kilusan ng mamamayan na pinangangasiwaan ng SWP upang itaguyod ang
mahigpit na pagpapatupad ng Executive Order 26 na nilagdaan ni Presidente
Duterte o ang pagbabawal ng paninigarilyo sa lahat ng pampublikong lugar
at sasakyan, at isabatas ang Smoke-Free Act sa lalung madaling panahon.
Bilang
paghahanda, ang SWP at AKTIB ay kasalukuyang nag-iikot sa iba’t ibang barangay
at komunidad upang hikayatin ang mamamayan na itigil ang paninigarilyo at
proteksyunan ang ating mga kabataan at pamayanan, nagtatayo ng mga smoke-free
homes, smoke-free communities, at smoke-free barangays.
Ang lahat ay inaanyayahang lumahok sa May 31 World No Tobacco Day. Mapapanood ang selebrasyon na ito sa sa Department of Health (DOH), Department of Education, at Philippine Smoke-Free Movement (PSFM) FaceBook Live. (Social Watch Philippines/PIA-Surigao del Norte)