Cagayan flood
THE ANNAFUNAN East Provincial Road in Cagayan, which suffered flooding in several areas in November due to continuous rains and a series of typhoons, was again flooded on Sunday.
2 LPAs not likely to become typhoons but alert warning up for possible flooding, landslides in various regions
THE two low pressure areas (LPAs) in the country are not likely to develop into typhoons until Monday, but state weather agency PAGASA warned of possible flooding and landslides with the expected moderate to heavy rains. “However, due to improvements in the cloud system of both disturbance over the past 12 hours, the likelihood of tropical cyclone formation is not ruled out at this time,” PAGASA said in its 11 a.m. advisory on Sunday. As of 10 a.m. Sunday, the low pressure area over the West Philippine Sea was located around 80 kilometers west of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. The other 85 kilometers east of Legazpi City, Albay. Areas that will experience rains include most parts of mainland Luzon, Mindoro provinces, Marinduque, Romblon, Dinagat Islands, Calamian Islands, Kalayaan Islands, and the regions of Eastern, Northern Mindanao, and Zamboanga Peninsula. “Flooding (including flashfloods) and rain-induced landslides may occur during heavy or prolonged periods of rainfall, especially in areas identified to be highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards or in localities that received significant amount rainfall over the past couple of days or weeks,” PAGASA warned. Malacañang also issued an advisory calling on the public to heed local officials should there be a call for preemptive evacuation.
City mayors form committee to coordinate COVID-19 vaccine distribution
CITY mayors around the country have formed a special committee to coordinate with the national task force on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in planning and implementing the vaccine distribution program.
In a memorandum dated December 23, League of Cities of the Philippines President and Bacolod City Mayor Evelio R. Leonardia informed members that the vaccine availment committee is tasked to organize meetings with Vaccine Czar Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. and other key officials as well as “initiate exploratory talks” directly with the different vaccine manufacturers.
The league, in a statement, said the creation of the committee is in “view of determining and recommending the most appropriate courses of action to facilitate the availment of COVID-19 vaccines for cities.”
“We need to strategize our efforts to ensure that our constituents have early access to quality and affordable vaccines, but we need to gather as much information as possible to guide our decisions. Proper coordination with concerned agencies is a must. This is, after all, a top priority for all of us,” Mr. Leonardia said.
The committee is composed of Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, General Santos Mayor Ronnel C. Rivera, Balanga Mayor Francis S. Garcia, Candon Mayor Eric G. Singson, and Zamboanga Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar.
An initial meeting with Mr. Galvez has been set for January 12, according to the league. — MSJ
