OCD Cordillera on red alert due to 'Odette'

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Cordillera has been placed on red alert due to typhoon “Odette,” which is expected to hit provinces in Northern Luzon. 

When a unit declares a red alert, all its personnel are placed on standby to ensure enough manpower in the event of an emergency. 

Cordillera civil defense administrator Andrew Alex Uy said the red alert was declared to "to fully focus on monitoring, information dissemination and warning the public." 

Uy said they have advised their field units to come up with preparedness measures to mitigate the impact of the weather disturbance. 

Meanwhile, three roads in the region are closed to traffic due to ongoing clearing operations by the Public works department. 

These are Kalinga-Abra, Balbalan-Pinukpuk and Tabuk-Banaue via Tanudan-Barlig road. 

The Army has placed on standby three rubber boats, three ambulance units, 10 M35 and 12 KM450 trucks for possible rescue operations. 

The Air Force Tactical Operations Group 1 has also prepared an M35 truck, three elf trucks and one KM450 truck for disaster response efforts. 

The Philippine Military Academy disaster response team has also readied three M35 trucks, two ambulance units and 13 buses. 

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reminded the public that sea travel remains risky over the seaboards of Occidental Mindoro and Palawan and over the eastern seaboard of Central and Southern Luzon and Visayas.

The council also advised local disaster management units to initiate preemptive evacuation of families in low-lying and mountainous areas if necessary.