BY MARTIN A. SADONGDONG
More than 4,000 barangays are threatened by flashfloods and landslides as tropical depression “Ofel” barreled through Calabarzon (Region 4-A), Mimaropa (Region 4-B), and the Visayas Wednesday, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said.
OCD spokesperson Mark Timbal said concerned local government units (LGUs) and government agencies in the affected areas were told to prepare their residents about the possible dangers of the tropical cyclone.
“All LGUs and relevant government agencies had been forewarned previously of the LPA (low-pressure area) possibly turning into a storm. Per DENR-MGB (Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau), more than 4,000 barangays in the possible track of Ofel are susceptible to flood and landslide,” Timbal said.
In Calabarzon, Timbal said only cargoes travelling to and from the port of northern Quezon were allowed as the local government banned sea transport to ensure the safety of passengers.
All trips in the ports of Batangas and Lucena City and Atimonan in Quezon were also cancelled due to inclement weather.
In the Bicol region (Region 5), at least 500 individuals were reportedly stranded in ports of Albay and Sorsogon due to the cancellation of trips.
