Vice President Sara Duterte has urged the public to prepare for the expected strong Typhoon Uwan, which is forecasted to hit the country soon.
In a video statement uploaded by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) on their Facebook page on Saturday, November 8, VP Sara said that Filipinos may feel the impact of the typhoon from November 9 to November 10.
“Ang Bagyong Uwan ay sinasabing posibleng dumaan sa Central o Northern Luzon. Ang pinakamataas na babalang itataas para kay Uwan ay ang signal number five,” she said.
She explained, “Ang signal number five ay nagpapahiwatig ng mga hangin na umaabot sa 185 kilometers per hour o mas mataas pa.”
VP Sara emphasized the need to prepare for strong winds, heavy rainfall, storm surges, and other effects that may follow the typhoon.
According to her, the typhoon may cause fallen trees, damaged homes, power outages, floods, landslides, rising waves, and disruptions in water and electricity supply.
She also stressed the importance of evacuation for families living in high-risk areas.
“[M]aghandang lumikas. Kung ikaw ay nakatira sa mapanganib na lugar o high risk area tulad ng baybaying dagat, madaling bahain, o madaling gumuho ang lupa, maghanda sa paglikas kapag inutos na ng mga awtoridad[…]” she added.
VP Sara also reminded the public to prepare food, water, medicine, batteries, flashlights, and other essentials in case of emergencies.
She advised, “Iwasan ang pag biyahe lalo na pagkatapos tumama ng bagyo. Maaaring sarado ang mga daan at kanselado ang mga biyahe. Delikado ang pagguho ng lupa at pagkahulog ng mga puno.”
“[M]agkaroon ng plano sa komunikasyon. Alamin kung saan magkikita ang pamilya kung magkawalaan sa paglikas,” she further said.
VP Sara urged everyone to assist the elderly, persons with disabilities, and children during the storm, and to follow updates from PAGASA and local authorities.
“Maghanda tayo habang wala pa ang bagyo para mapanigurado ang kaligtasan ng bawat isa. Mas mabuti nang labis ang paghahanda kaysa walang kahandaan,” she concluded.