Marcos: Govt ready for ‘Mawar’

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday assured the public that government is ready for the expected onslaught of Super Typhoon “Mawar” (international name).

“We continue to keep close tabs on the movement of Super Typhoon Mawar, which is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) tomorrow evening or Saturday morning,” Marcos said in a statement

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said tropical cyclone Mawar has re-intensified into a super typhoon prior to entering PAR.

“In our meeting with Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., we made sure that the funds and food packs have been pre-positioned, response teams are on standby and LGUs (local government units) are ready in the areas to be affected by the typhoon,” Marcos said. Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar said that all unified commands and major services of the armed forces were instructed to prepare for humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

Aguilar added more troops and assets will be deployed if necessary.

“We therefore call on the public to be vigilant and to take precautionary measures as advised by competent authorities. Let us all do our part in ensuring the safety not just of the affected communities but of our responders as well,” he said.

The Office of Civil Defense said preemptive evacuations were expected to be imposed in the coastal towns of Batanes and some parts of Cagayan.

Meanwhile, Globe Telecoms said its technical and support teams were tasked to ensure continuous network operations during adverse weather conditions.

“To ensure that customers receive real-time, verified weather updates, the company offers free data access to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council website. It also urges the public to rely on reputable and trusted news sources for weather information and to adhere to warnings provided by the agency through SMS alerts,” Globe said in a statement.

Pagasa said in its 4 p.m. advisory that Mawar was sighted 2,000 kilometers east of Southern Luzon.

Moving west-northwestward at 15 kilometers per hour, it has maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 240 kph.

Mawar will be named “Betty” once it entered PAR.