THE GOVERNMENT is closely monitoring a tropical depression that could intensify into a typhoon and enter the country by Dec. 14, the presidential palace said on Monday.
The tropical depression “will likely enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility as a severe tropical storm on the evening of Dec. 14,” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei B. Nograles said in a statement, citing local weather forecasts.
The local weather bureau on Sunday said the storm would be named Odette once it enters the Philippines.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council was coordinating with regional and local councils to ensure public safety, he added.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development has available stockpiles and standby funds for disaster response, Mr. Nograles said. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
