No leaves for DILG, LGUs along Hagupit’s path

MANILA, Philippines – Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Manuel Roxas II on Wednesday, December 3, ordered agencies under his department to cancel their leaves of absences “to ensure the safety of the residents” as Typhoon Hagupit moves closer to the country.

Roxas’ order covers personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), regional offices of the DILG, and local government units (LGUs).

Hagupit packs winds of up to 195 kilometers per hour and is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) Thursday evening, December 4. Once it enters PAR, it will be assigned the codename Ruby.

State weather bureau PAGASA earlier said there was a “big chance” that Hagupit would make landfall over the Visayas this weekend.

Based on PAGASA’s latest data, the typhoon will hit some areas still reeling from the effects of last year’s Typhoon Yolanda should it make landfall – Samar, Leyte, northern part of Cebu, northern part Panay, and the southern part of Bicol.

Roxas has ordered Regions 5, 6, 7, and Caraga to “immediately evacuate the people living along coastal communities to higher ground to ensure their safety.”

The DILG chief also issued an alert bulletin to the same regions, directing them to convene their Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Councils.

Roxas is also the vice chairman for disaster preparedness of the country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). – Bea Cupin/Rappler.com