DILG: 31 provinces placed on alert for Typhoon Dodong

At least 31 provinces in seven regions likely to be hit by Typhoon Dodong (Noul) have all been placed on alert, the Department of Interior and Local Government said on Friday.

At a press briefing on Friday, DILG Director Edgar Tabell said local government units of affected areas have been advised to activate their disaster response systems.

According to Pagasa weather division chief Esperanza Cayanan, the provinces concerned are the following:

Within 75-kilometer radius (as of Friday):
Abra, Apayao, Aurora, Batanes, Cagayan, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Quirino

Within 150-kilometer radius (as of Friday):
Benguet, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Ilocos Sur, Nueva Vizcaya, Quezon

Within 300-kilometer radius (as of Friday):
Albay, Bulacan, Eastern Samar, La Union, Laguna, Northern Samar, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Rizal, Samar, Sorsogon, Tarlac

Cayanan noted that this may still change as the typhoon continues to move.

Cayanan said Dodong is expected to make landfall around 9 or 10 a.m. Sunday, and expected to move northeast towards northern Luzon.

"Patungo itong Japan, by Tuesday, lalabas ito ng Philippine Area of Responsibility," she said.

She added that the typhoon is expected to weaken further upon landfall.

Meanwhile, the Bicol Region is expected to experience moderate to heavy rainfall starting Saturday, Cayanan said.

Metro Manila, on the other hand, will also experience rainfall late Saturday evening or early Sunday morning.

"Mayroon pa ring ini-expect na pag-ulan (sa Metro Manila) pero hindi kalakasan," she added.

For his part, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said he has directed local chief executives to prepare for the typhoon.

"Alisto sana tayo dahil may parating uling bagyo," Roxas told mayors in a text message. "Galaw na tayo habang maaga pa."

Agencies on alert too

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, at the same briefing, said they have already prepositioned more than 24 million family food packs in regions to be affected by the typhoon.

The DSWD has also been coordinating with local government units for possible evacuation of residents.

The Department of Health, on the other hand, is on white alert and is on standby with medicine and medical supplies.

The Department of Transportation and Communication, meanwhile, said sea travel in areas under storm signal number 1 have been cancelled.

Catanduanes has been placed under Signal No. 2 while 11 other provinces on Signal No. 1. These are Sorsogon, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Quezon, Polillo Island, Aurora, Quirino, Isabela, Northern Samar and Eastern Samar.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Philippine National Police have respectively directed teams to be alert in areas to be affected by the typhoon.

NDRRMC chairman and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, for his part, urged the public to remain alert.

Asked if he will urge tourists and vacationers to cancel plans during the weekend, Gazmin said he urges the public to monitor the typhoon before going out. -NB, GMA News