Cebu disaster councils urged to prepare for "Chedeng"

CEBU CITY, April 1 (PIA)--- Typhoon Chedeng may not affect Cebu but disaster response offices are still advised to be on guard for possible changes. 

Oscar Tabada, head of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysicaland Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA-Visayas) said as of press time typhoon “Chedeng”, internationally called “Maysak” is still 1,280 kilometers east of Guiuan, Samar.

The PAGASA head made a briefing to the core group of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office for the Pre DisasterRisk Assessment (PDRA).

PAGASA head Oscar Tabada with DSWD Jennifer Abastillas, PRO7 PSI Sandley Sabang and OCD7 head Olivia Luces 

Tabada said there is a greater probability that Chedeng will move more than Latitude 10 and will spare Central Visayas just like typhoonMario last year.

“All the numerical weather models from Japan, Korea, Beijing has the same trend, showing typhoon Chedeng to be leading towards Luzon into Aurora province, hitting Metro Manila," he said.

Typhoons happening in the first and early second quarter of the year usually spare Central Visayas.

“We are more affected by the typhoons in the last part of the year,” Tabada said.

Chedeng is considered as a Typhoon Category with sustained winds of 215 kph near center and gustiness of 250 kph. It is moving at 17 kph.

The typhoon is expected to enter tonight or early morning tomorrow.

Tabada said for now, typhoon Chedeng is gaining strength as it is still on waters.

“We know that typhoons get their strength on water but it is expected to weaken the moment it will make a landfall,”  Tabada said.

It will also bring rains at 17 millimeters per hour in the affected area.

“We have to bear in mind, typhoons will most likely move faster if these are tracing land as there is no more water to absorb,”  Tabada said.

PAGASA forecasted that Lent in the Visayas will still be sunny until Friday with light rains.

Office of Civil Defense 7 Olivia Luces said they are on guard for the typhoon and especially that it is Lenten season.

“Where there are more people or more crowd, there is greater risk of hazard, “ Luces said.

Police Superintendent Julius Gornez of the Police Regional Office 7 assured all units are on Red Alert as OPLAN LIGTAS BYAHE-SEMANA SANTA is enforced.

Jennifer Abastillas, of the Department of Social Welfare andDevelopment said they also have enough manpower to carry out possible relief here in Cebu.

“We are even on call as buffer suppliers to Luzon,” Abastillas said.

The core group of the PDRA include OCD, Philippine NationalPolice, Armed Forces of the Philippines – Central Command, Department ofInterior and Local Government (DILG), Department DSWD, PAGASA and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA).

In Cebu Province, Governor Hilario Davide III ordered all the departments and local government units to continue monitoring and coordinating for typhoon Chedeng. (FCC/PIA7-Cebu)

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