Thursday, November 7, 2013

AFP enforces massive evacuation in Bicol

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 7): AFP enforces massive evacuation in Bicol

The Armed Forces of the Philippines in Bicol is racing against time as the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council has enforced massive evacuation in an effort to attain the zero-casualty goal of the government in the region.

Bernardo Rafaelito “Raffy” Alejandro, Office of Civil Defense Bicol director and concurrently RDRRMC chairman, said about 1.7 million Bicolanos are living in landslide- and flood-prone areas and will have to be evacuated Thursday before powerful typhoon “Yolanda” makes a landfall Friday.

In Albay, Army Col. Raul Farnacio, commanding officer of the Army’s 901st Infantry Brigade, told Governor Joey Salceda, Albay PDRRMC chairman, during the disaster conference Thursday that 12 military trucks will be deployed for evacuation of the affected individuals.

Air Force Col. Joannis Dimaano, Tactical Operations Group 5-PAF Bicol commander, said their truck will also be deployed for evacuation as well as relief distribution here.

Similar measures are being done by the Naval Forces for Southern Luzon here.

“We will utilize all government assets except helicopters to evacuate hundreds of thousands of families living in landslide-prone, flood-prone and coastal communities to save them from imminent danger,” Alejandro said.

In Albay province, Salceda directed the evacuation of 665,433 people living in coastal areas covering 14 towns and three cities here.

First to be evacuated were 320,701 people living in coastal communities, according to the governor.

Salceda also ordered the suspension of classes in all levels and work in all government offices to allow the employees to safeguard their families from the powerful typhoon.

“This is in view of the expected interaction of climate and geologic risks due to the impending threat posed by typhoon Yolanda to the province of Albay and in order to ensure disaster avoidance and to achieve zero casualty,” he said.

The provincial government of Albay provided five kilos of rice to each evacuated family to compel the people to stay in safer grounds until Yolanda’s threat is over.

The regional command of the Philippine Army in Bicol also activated its Task Group “Sagip” in preparation for Yolanda.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=584262

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