Aurora: The Aurora Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), led by Governor Isidro P. Galban, convened a Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment (PDRA), scenario-building, and preparedness meeting on Tuesday to strengthen the province's readiness for Super Typhoon Bavi (local name: Inday), which remains outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).
According to Philippines News Agency, Provincial Administrator Shierwin H. Taay, Provincial DRRM Officer Engr. Amado Elson A. Egargue, and representatives from various PDRRMC member agencies joined the meeting. DOST-PAGASA Baler Chief Armando D. Avenilla Jr. presented the latest weather briefing, while Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officers (MDRRMOs) reported their respective preparedness measures and anticipated requirements should the typhoon affect the province.
The council reviewed the operational readiness of all response clusters, including Food and Non-Food Items, Health, Protection and Camp Coordination, Logistics, Emergency Telecommunications, Law and Order, Education, Search, Rescue and Retrieval, Management of the Dead and Missing, Agriculture, and Infrastructure. Key measures discussed included the availability of relief supplies, medical resources, emergency communications through Starlink, GovNet, and free Wi-Fi, deployment of heavy equipment, and the conduct of simulation exercises to enhance disaster response capabilities.
To strengthen coordination, the council approved the creation of dedicated group chats for each response cluster to facilitate faster information sharing, coordination, and situation reporting before, during, and after the typhoon. As a preventive measure, the PDRRMC agreed to implement a no-fishing, no-sailing, and no-water-activities policy across Aurora starting Wednesday to ensure the safety of fishermen, tourists, and the public.
The council also announced that the entire province will be placed under Blue Alert Status beginning Wednesday. Under the alert status, the Provincial DRRMO will activate 24/7 monitoring and full inter-agency coordination at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Barangay Suklayin, Baler, to ensure an immediate and coordinated response to any potential impacts of Super Typhoon Bavi.
