(UPDATE) THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Sunday ordered the preemptive evacuation of residents as “Nando” intensified into a super typhoon and an enhanced southwest monsoon or “habagat,” which threatened to bring widespread flooding and landslides.
DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla said on Sunday the typhoon’s strength has made evacuation “an obligation of government and a responsibility of communities.”
The DILG earlier issued an advisory instructing local government units (LGUs) in threatened areas to prepare evacuation centers, enforce liquor bans, impose the no-sail policy, and stock up on food and humanitarian aid “swiftly and without delay.”
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has identified more than 2,700 villages — including over 930 in Metro Manila — as susceptible to flooding and landslides between Sept. 20 and 23.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) also warned that urbanized and low-lying areas, as well as communities near rivers and mountain slopes, face heightened risk due to the combined effects of Nando and recent rains from Tropical Depression Mirasol.
Remulla said the classification of Nando as a super typhoon makes preemptive evacuation “non-negotiable.”
“Government action combined with citizen cooperation is the only way to save lives,” he said, urging families in high-risk areas to comply with evacuation orders.
The DILG said it is closely coordinating with Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (RDRRMCs) and local chief executives to ensure full compliance.
It also reminded all LGUs to keep residents fully informed of risks and advisories.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it has delivered an additional 5,000 boxes of family food packs (FFPs) to its warehouses in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
DPWH Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said 4,000 FFPs were delivered to its warehouse in Kalinga, Apayao, and another 1,000 FFPs were sent to its facility in Benguet province.
Dumlao said 8,500 food boxes were being transported to Cagayan and Isabela provinces to augment relief supplies already prepositioned in the Cagayan Valley Region.
“The DSWD central office has been constantly in contact with its regional offices, especially in areas where the super typhoon was expected to pass, because we have instruction from Secretary Rex Gatchalian to make sure that no single family member would be hungry during the calamity,” said Dumlao, who is also the agency’s spokesman.
To further ensure the availability of relief supplies, volunteers continue to help in the production of FFPs at the Luzon Disaster Resource Center, formerly the National Resource Operations Center, in Pasay City.
The DSWD has been on red alert since Friday to ensure coordinated disaster preparation and response, Dumlao said.
