With Tropical Storm Chedeng hitting land in the Isabela-Aurora area this morning, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported that some 431 families from the towns of Dinapigue, Divilacan, and Maconacon are now staying in 16 evacuation centers, as of 3:00 a.m., April 5.
Most of the families were pre-emptively evacuated starting yesterday since their houses are located in low lying and coastal areas.
In Aurora, DSWD-Field Office III reported that 17 evacuation centers were opened and provided temporary shelter to some 258 families who were pre-emptively evacuated. As of 9:00 a.m. today, these families have already returned home.
In other affected areas, some 75 persons were reported stranded at the Marinduque ports in Mogpog and Buac, as of2 am today. They were attended to by concerned local government units (LGUs).
DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman said that disaster teams of Field Offices along the typhoon path are now on the ground to assist LGUs in disaster relief operations and management of evacuation centers.
The Search, Rescue and Retrieval Cluster of the Response Pillar under the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has deployed communications teams in Dinapigue, Casiguran, Dilasag, and Dipaculao in Aurora province to ensure that communication in these remote towns will not be cut.
In a meeting with the cluster-members of the Response Pillar at the NDRRMC last night, Sec. Soliman emphasized that there is a need to advise vacationers not to travel within today, especially if they are passing along landslide and flashflood prone areas.
“We don’t want you to be hurt so please heed the call of authorities for evacuation and suspension of travel,” Sec. Soliman said.
She reiterated that DSWD disaster teams will continue to monitor the situation and assess the extent of the disaster to enable the government to provide appropriate services for the affected families.