Preemptive evacuation was carried out between late Sunday and Monday for families displaced by the Sept. 30 deadly 6.9 magnitude earthquake who were still staying in tent communities in Bogo City, Cebu, as the city braced for the onslaught of Typhoon Tino (international name: Kalmaegi).
The Philippine Red Cross led the evacuation of residents housed at the Tent City in Barangay Cogon, while those in other tent communities were assisted by barangay disaster risk reduction and management offices, Mayor Maria Cielo Martinez said on Monday.
The areas being vacated were originally set up for survivors of a recent earthquake that struck northern Cebu.
Martinez said the city government was inspecting evacuation centers to ensure these could withstand strong winds, continuous rains, and possible aftershocks.
‘We will release the list of evacuation sites once all structures have been reassessed for safety,’ the mayor said.
In an executive order, Martinez suspended work in all government offices from Monday noon until Tuesday, citing the need for precautionary action as Bogo City was placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
Personnel involved in peace and order, disaster response, health, sanitation, and traffic operations were directed to remain on duty.
Private businesses were encouraged to consider suspending operations for the protection of their workers.
Based on the 11 a.m. advisory of Pagasa, Tino was estimated 285 kilometers east southeast of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, packing maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 150 kph.
Martinez urged residents in high-risk zones to ‘remain alert and follow the advice of authorities’ as the city continued preparations for the weather disturbance