Quezon Gov. Angelina Tan gives updates to the public at the Quezon Provincial Monitoring Center. With her is Quezon police director Col. Ruben Lacuesta. Photo by GEMI FORMARAN
Early preparation makes Quezon province incur minor losses from ‘Kristine’
LUCENA CITY — Early preparation made by the local government units, and all the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Offices (DRRMOs) based on orders by Quezon Gov. Angelina Tan was one of the reasons why the province was not hardly-hit by typhoon “Kristine.”
Quezon is among the provinces in Calabarzon region struck by “Kristine” before its landfall but suffered only minor loses based on reports gathered from the Quezon Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO).
As of 12 noon yesterday, 2,952 affected families composed of 9,967 individuals, mostly in the first district of the province, were evacuated to different evacuation centers, according to Dr.
Melchor Avenilla, the PDRRMO head.
Avenilla said flooding incidents were reported in the towns of San Francisco, Catanauan, Tagkawayan, Mulanay, Calauag, Lopez and Gen. Luna but floods in most of these areas have already subsided.
He said power interruptions were experienced in the towns of Catanauan, Mulanay San Andres, San Narciso, San Francisco, Unisan, Guinayangan and Alabat.
At the ports, 488 passengers, 47 rolling cargos and vesels were stranded.
Only five houses were partially-damaged.
Prior to “Kristine’s” landfall, Tan on Monday afternoon had convened the PDRRM Council and presided a virtual meeting regarding the updates on preparations being made by all MDRRMCs in the province.
The lady governor also supervised the preparations of relief packs at the Quezon Provincial Operation Center while monitoring the situations and eventualities in typhoon affected areas.
Quezon police director Col. Ruben Lacuesta made himself busy in the inspection of his police stations, especially those in the hardest hit municipalities.
Lacuesta reported death incidents in the towns of San Andres, Mauban and Guinayangan but Avenilla clarified that those deaths are not yet declared typhoon-related incidents.
He said a consensus by Management of the Dead and Missing Cluster will be held in a meeting to determine whether the incidents are typhoon-related.
The group is composed by members of the Office of the Civil Defense, Department of Health, the police and the concerned MDRRMO.
