The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) instructed all its Regional Directors to coordinate with their respective Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (RDDRMCs) to remind all local government units (LGUs) to prepare for a potentially powerful storm forecast to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Friday or Saturday.

The storm, which will be named ''Mawar'' once it enters the Philippine Area of Responsibility, was located 2,300 kilometers east of Visayas, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its Tuesday bulletin.

Pagasa said the storm will likely turn into a super typhoon once it enters the country.

In an advisory, the DILG said all LGUs, especially those in areas with recent experience of extended or prolonged rain occurrences and/or landslides or floods, shall continue to monitor all Pagasa weather advisories and typhoon bulletins, local thunderstorm or rainfall advisories and heavy rainfall warnings, and general flood advisories and basin flood bulletins.

They are also ordered to utilize HazardHunterPH to generate indicative hazard assessment reports on their respective jurisdictions, DILG said.

Local DRRMCs are also directed to convene and conduct pre-disaster risk assessments for floods, flash floods, rain-induced landslides, debris flow, and strong winds. Communities must also be continuously informed and advised of situation updates and preparations.

They are also ordered to establish and strictly implement critical preparedness actions based on the Operation L!STO Protocols and DILG Memorandum Circular 2020-125, prioritize supplies and equipment prepositioning for response, and implement necessary actions in the DILG Advisory issued last May 2022 on the “Preparedness Measures for Rainy Season C.Y. 2022”

Areas showing signs of landslides, such as tension cracks, seepages, terracettes, tilting of trees, etc. monitor moderate slopes with thick soil overburden and areas underlain by old landslide deposits, quarry and mining areas must be also vigilantly monitored. Waterways such as canals and drainages are likewise ordered to be cleared while dams should be ensured stable.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos, Jr. said that he hopes for a zero-casualty incidents across the country because of these proactive and preventive measures.

“With the advisories given by Pagasa that ‘Mawar’ will most likely be a super typhoon, we need to brace ourselves and get ready to avoid casualties and other damages expected to be brought about by this potential weather disturbance,” Abalos said. DILG