Yolanda’s coming, Degamo to DepEd: Cut short athletic meet; LGUs prepare

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines – Governor Roel Degamo yesterday ordered the Department of Education-Negros Oriental, headed by Dr. Salustiano Jimenez, to cut short the ongoing provincial athletic meet due to super-typhoon Yolanda that is expected to enter the Philippines by Friday.

The Negros Oriental Athletic Association (NORAA) meet reeled off Monday at three different playing venues, in this city and in Sibulan and Valencia towns, and was originally scheduled to end Friday.

With Yolanda already making its way to the Philippines, Degamo said it is necessary that all athletic delegations coming from the towns and cities of Negros Oriental must be able to return home safe at the earliest time possible.

At least 21 delegations, or about 2,500 athletes, coaches and officials, are participating in the NORAA meet, said Adrian Sedillo, executive officer of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC).

Delegations from as far as Basay in the south and Canlaon City in the north must be given enough time to travel back safely to their home towns, Degamo said.

The governor said all games and other events of the athletic meet must be completed by Thursday and ordered the DepEd to do away with the closing ceremonies.

The suspension of classes in the province will depend on PAG-ASA’s announcement of public storm warning signals over certain areas, Sedillo said.

Local government units should now take pro-active measures days ahead of the projected arrival of super-typhoon Yolanda in the country by tomorrow, Degamo further told The Freeman.

In an emergency meeting of the PDRRMC yesterday, Degamo said the provincial government is also gearing up for Yolanda, which early PAG-ASAR reports said will affect parts of southern Luzon, the Visayas and northern Mindanao.

The governor had ordered the pre-positioning of supplies and logistics, manpower and relief goods. Two evacuation centers were already prepared, and that rescue groups, the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary, the police and the military have been put on standby alert for deployment.

Sedillo said the governor told LGUs in the province to undertake pre-emptive evacuation of residents living in flood-prone and coastal areas and along the river banks and near other bodies of water.

The governor is also asking the public to pay attention to media advisories on weather updates as other parts of the country in the path of Yolanda are already preparing for it, Sedillo said.

The provincial government and the Dumaguete City government are now pruning trees to reduce threats of damage with the expected arrival of Yolanda. —(FREEMAN)