NDRRMC to public: Don’t be annoyed as alerts received even if phones are off

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Tuesday appealed to the public not to disregard the emergency alert and warning messages they it had been sending due to weather disturbances affecting parts of the country.

At a press briefing, NDRRMC spokesperson Romina Marasigan lamented the criticisms the agency received after it sent emergency alert and warning messages on the possible threat of tropical depression Agaton.

"Alam niyo nakakalungkot lang na meron talaga tayong ibang mga kababayan na talagang hanggang sa kasalukuyan yung ating emergency alert and warning messages eh pakiramdam nila ay talagang nakakaabala," Marasigan said.

"Mukhang napuyat po ata sila sa selebrasyon, nung nakatanggap nung emergency alerts natin eh nagmamaktol at tine-take sa social media na ang reklamo nila kung bakit daw nakakatanggap sila ng mga ganitong abiso," she added.

The NDRRMC has drawn various reactions—many of disdain—from the public for its emergency alert messages.

Marasigan said that the public would still receive emergency alerts even if their mobile phones were turned off as this would prepare them for the effects of a weather disturbance and would also prompt residents in areas prone to flooding and landslides to evacuate immediately.

"Ang emergency alert po kasi talagang kahit nakapatay ang cellphone, aalarma po talaga ito, ito po'y pagsisiguro na yung babala natin ay makakarating sa inyo, kahit po wala kayong load, makakatanggap po kayo niyan," Marasigan said.

"Sana po maintindihan po ninyo na ito po ay pagbibigay ng babala para sa pagsiguro ng inyong kaligtasan dahil nga po itong bagyong Agaton, although depression ang kanyang level, ito po'y may dala ng paguulan na maaaring maging peligroso sa inyong buhay, sa inyong bahay, sa inyong kabuhayan pati na rin po sainyong komunidad kaya po napakahalaga nitong mga alerts nating ito ulit ulit nating binibigay sa ating mga kababayan para makasiguro lamang na lalo na kung kayo ay flood-prone o landslide prone nakatira eh agaran po kayo makakapagevacuate sa mas ligtas na lugar," she added.

As of 10 a.m., weather bureau PAGASA reported that tropical depression Agaton is expected to slam into Palawan province on Tuesday afternoon.

Agaton was last estimated at 170 kilometers west of Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental.

A total of 611 families in Capiz, Zamboanga del Norte, Agusan de Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Dinagat Island and Agusan del Norte have been preemptively evacuated.

Marasigan said the NRRMC had yet to receive reports on casualties due to Agaton.

"For Agaton, so far wala naman tayong nakuhang balita pero tuloy no yung ating coordination sa ating lokal na pamahalaan na maaari baka ngayong araw eh makatanggap pa tayo ng karagdagang reports and hopefully wala namang casualties," Marasigan said. —NB, GMA News