Tacloban enforces 100% evacuation in storm surge-prone villages

MANILA, Philippines – As of late afternoon Saturday, December 6, Tacloban City has implemented mandatory evacuation in all vulnerable areas, city disaster risk reduction and management officer Ildebrando Bernadas told Rappler.

Of the city’s 138 villages, 32 were identified in the hazard map as vulnerable to storm surges. (READ: Village hit hardest by Haiyan evacuates ahead of #RubyPH)

The evacuation, which was carried out by Mayor Alfred Romualdez himself, with the help of law enforcers, moved about 45,000 people to safer locations.

At least 7 trucks and 5 multicabs were deployed to move people to evacuation centers since Romualdez ordered the mandatory evacuation on Thursday, December 4.

“The best thing there, is to move them to safer zones so that we can prevent emergencies,” Romualdez said, noting he has learned from the hard lessons of the Yolanda disaster that battered the city more than a year ago. Super Typhoon Yolanda battered Central Visayas and left over 6,000 dead.

Government opened at least 17 evacuation centers across the city. Distribution of relief goods is now faster and efficiently managed. “It is much easier now. People are positioned in evacuation centers,” Romualdez said.

Prepositioned food can quickly be made available to about 40,000 families for 4 consecutive days, Romualdez said. – Rappler.com