The Bicol region was placed on red alert status under the “Charlie protocol” by the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) on Monday due to the impending arrival of Tropical Depression (TD) Kristine. The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) announced the heightened alert, urging immediate action to protect communities.
“The Charlie protocol signifies the highest state of emergency preparedness, necessitating immediate action from both the RDRRMC and Local DRRMCs to protect communities and ensure an effective and timely response,” the OCD said in a statement. This alert ensures that all response units are activated and prepared for potential emergencies.
Various response clusters within the RDRRMC have been mobilized, including Health, Food and Non-Food Items, Camp Coordination and Management, Emergency Telecommunications, Law and Order, Logistics, Search, Rescue, and Retrieval, Debris Clearing, Strategic Communication, Early Recovery, and Management of the Dead and the Missing. These teams are tasked with ensuring an efficient and coordinated response to any potential impacts caused by TD Kristine.
In addition, the OCD instructed regional offices to heighten their state of preparedness as TD Kristine is forecast to bring moderate to heavy rainfall across Bicol, Samar, and other surrounding areas beginning Tuesday. OCD Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno urged communities to make the necessary preparations to ensure safety and reduce potential risks. “We encourage all residents in affected areas to take the necessary precautions and stay informed through official channels,” Nepomuceno said.
TD Kristine entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) early Monday morning and is predicted to make landfall in Northern Luzon by Friday, October 25. The tropical depression is expected to intensify into a tropical storm within the next 12 hours and could further strengthen into a typhoon by Thursday or Friday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
As of Monday afternoon, Pagasa has raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 in several areas, including parts of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. In Luzon, areas under Signal No. 1 include Catanduanes, Masbate, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Albay, Sorsogon, and portions of Quezon. In the Visayas, the warning covers Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Samar, Leyte, Biliran, and Southern Leyte, while in Mindanao, Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte are under the same warning level.