President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered government agencies to prepare for the possible impact of potential Super Typhoon Inday, which is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, Malacañang said Monday.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Marcos directed all concerned agencies to act under a whole-of-government approach as the country braces for possible weather disturbances from the typhoon.
“Ito naman po ay whole-of-government approach, so lahat po ng ahensya na-involve ay kailangan pong kumilos – iyan po ang utos ng Pangulo,” Castro said during a Palace briefing.
Castro said preparations include pre-disaster risk-assessment meetings, scenario planning, and response coordination, all led by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
She said Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils have also been placed on alert and standby, while alerts and warnings are being issued across all communication channels and platforms.
Other measures include preemptive evacuations in high-risk areas, securing evacuation centers, establishing livestock equipment zones, enforcing sea travel bans, identifying alternative routes, and inspecting critical infrastructure.
Castro said rescue teams must also be placed on standby and prepositioned along with relief goods and essential supplies. She added that authorities should monitor public health risks, including diseases associated with flooding.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said its disaster response units are now on high alert ahead of Inday’s expected entry into PAR.
DSWD regional offices are also coordinating with local government units along the typhoon’s projected path to ensure the availability of food and non-food relief items.
“We have already mobilized our Field Offices to monitor the situation and secure the safety lines for relief delivery. Of course handa ang DSWD sa anumang sakuna, pero patuloy pa rin kaming naghahanda,” DSWD Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Irene Dumlao said.
Citing data from the Disaster Response Operations Monitoring, Information, and Communication as of July 6, Dumlao said the DSWD has P3.009 billion worth of assistance, equivalent to around 4.775 million family food packs, strategically prepositioned nationwide.
The agency’s stockpile also includes 364,283 ready-to-eat food boxes and 271,446 non-food items available for immediate distribution to affected individuals and families.
Dumlao said the Luzon Disaster Response Center in Pasay City and the Visayas Disaster Response Center in Mandaue City, Cebu, continue to operate around the clock to maintain stockpile inventory levels across all regions.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Super Typhoon Bavi will be given the local name Inday once it enters PAR.
PAGASA said the weather system is expected to enter the country’s monitoring area either Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, but is unlikely to make landfall.