City gov’t gears for rainy ‘Fiesta Minatay’ 2022

Iloilo City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be raised under “blue alert” status from October 29 to November 2, 2022 as the city government gears for a rainy Fiesta Minatay this year.

Under the blue alert status, the Iloilo Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) ordered the barangay DRRMC Operations committee, the response cluster, and the general public to implement preparedness and precautionary measures in observance of the “Kalag-kalag” this year.

According to Donna Magno head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management  Office (CDRRMO), the blue alert status signify that the emergency operations center in the city is on standby to respond to any emergencies or untoward incidents.

The different clusters composed of Philippine National Police(PNP), Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO), CDRRMO, General Services Offices (GSO), City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), and other volunteer groups will be deployed to the different cemeteries, memorial parks, and columbarias in the city.

“We agreed sa amon meeting nga i-activate ang pila ka cluster like the search and rescue retrieval, police clusters, logistics, kag iban. We will be monitoring any untoward incidents,” he said in an interview on Thursday, October 27, 2022.

Magno added that 60 responders from ICER will also be deployed to the different cemeteries to respond to any health emergencies.

Meanwhile, the weather state bureau, PAGASA – Iloilo weather observer Engr. Jan Baron warned that cloudy to rainy weather is expected to prevail over Iloilo City and the rest of Western Visayas over the weekend and even during the Fiesta Minatay due to Tropical Storm Paeng.

Baron added that due to the wide scope of Paeng moderate to heavy rainfall with thunderstorms and lighting will be experienced in the city and the province of Iloilo.

According to PAGASA, Paeng is expected to continue moving westward or west northwestward in the next 12 hours.

“Due to the westward movement of this tropical cyclone, a landfall scenario or close approach to Eastern Samar or Northern Samar this afternoon or tonight is not ruled out. Afterwards, Paeng will move generally west northwestward and may traverse the Bicol Region tonight through tomorrow morning.” (DG)