MANILA, Philippines — Super typhoon Rolly (international name: Goni) is projected to affect up to 31 million Filipinos, the government's disaster coordination council disclosed Sunday.
"Our predictive analytics po reflect Between 19M - 31M individuals will possibly be affected by the storm based on the population count in the areas within the typhoon track. However, people living in danger zones are not separate from those who are not," NDRRMC spokesperson Mark Timbal said in a text message to reporters.
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"This means that figures of evacuation would be very different from this because our evacuation will be coming mostly from danger zones," he added in mixed Filipino and English.
As of 6 a.m. on Sunday, the Philippine Coast Guard has already recorded some 1,883 stranded persons, including passengers, truck drivers, and cargo helpers, as a result of the super typhoon, to go with 70 vessels, 119 motorbancas, and 826 rolling cargoes in Bicol, Southern Tagalog, National Capital Region, and Eastern Visayas.
A total of 165 vessels and 45 motorbancas in the regions are also taking shelter as a precautionary measure against possible threats of the tropical storm.
"We are coordinating with LGU in monitoring the people living near the shorelines of Manila Bay. Fishermen have also been advised to stay put and shelter their fishing boats," Commodore Armando Balilo, PCG spokesperson, told reporters.
For its part, the Joint Task Force COVID Shield said it had directed local police forces to assist in mandatory evacuations implemented by local governments.
“The presence of our personnel in evacuation centers is necessary at this point since this would have positive impact on the perception of safety and security of our affected kababayan in this yet another challenge. The mere presence of our police and other personnel of other agencies serves as an assurance to our kababayan that the government is always there to protect them,” said Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, joint task force commander.
Eleazar added that cops on the ground should also be involved in coming up with measures to protect the evacuees, especially children, senior citizens and persons with existing health conditions which are considered as prone to virus infection, saying the deployment of policemen in evacuation centers could be through setting up of assistance desks "or regular visits to check on their needs."
Police Gen. Camilo Cascolan has also ordered the deployment of more cops and police vehicles in affected areas to assist in the forced evacuation and other disaster preparedness measures.
Pagasa: Rolly made its second landfall in Tiwi, Albay
State weather bureau PAGASA in its latest severe weather bulletin at 8 a.m. on Sunday said that the storm center, which was located at 7:20 a.m. in the vicinity of Tiwi, Albay, will cross the Camarines Provinces before heading towards Marinduque-Southern Quezon area.
"Catastrophic violent winds and intense to torrential rainfall associated with the region of the eyewall and inner rainbands of the typhoon is prevailing or expected within the next 12 hours over Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, the northern portion of Sorsogon, Burias Island, Marinduque, the central and southern portions of Quezon, Laguna, and the eastern portion of Batangas," Pagasa said.
"This a particularly dangerous situation for these areas," it added.
READ: Super typhoon Rolly makes landfall in Catanduanes
Forecast positions
- 24 hours (Monday morning):150 km west of Subic Bay
- 48 hours (Tuesday morning): 625 km west of Subic Bay (Outside PAR)
- 72 hours (Wednesday morning): 970 km west of Central Luzon (Outside PAR)