DOH prepares medicine, emergency response teams as Ramil hits Bicol

Medical supplies and emergency response teams from the Department of Health (DOH) were on standby as Tropical Storm Ramil made landfall in Sorsogon on Saturday afternoon.

In a statement, the DOH said it prepared medicine worth P11.2 million, along with other health commodities, first aid kits, tents, breastfeeding kits, clean water, and water containers for evacuation centers.

"Matatandaang lubhang sinalanta ng Bagyong Opong ang rehiyon, kaya’t pinaigting ng DOH ang koordinasyon sa mga lokal na health offices at RDRRMC Bicol," the DOH said.

(It can be recalled that Typhoon Opong severely devastated the region, so the DOH stepped up its coordination with local health offices and RDRRMC Bicol.)

Ramil made landfall over Gubat, Sorsogon, at 4:10 p.m. Saturday, the state weather bureau PAGASA said.

Moving westward slowly, Ramil was carrying maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 90 km/h as of 4 p.m.

"On the forecast track, Ramil then will continue moving west northwestward over the landmass or coastal waters of Bicol Region between this afternoon and tomorrow early morning. Afterwards, it will pass close or over Polillo Islands tomorrow morning, then make a final landfall in the vicinity of Aurora tomorrow morning or afternoon," PAGASA said.
 
"The possibility of landfall over northern Quezon or southern Isabela instead of Aurora is also not ruled out based on the forecast confidence cone." –Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News