Tropical Depression Auring has left Western Visayas with very minimal impact, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in the region said on Monday, Feb. 22.

“The impact of Tropical Depression Auring in Western Visayas is very minimal. We can say that the preparedness is 100 percent based on the activation of the alert status,” said OCD disaster risk reduction management division chief, Ma. Aletha Nogra, in a virtual press conference.

Nogra said there was no report on casualty, missing persons, injuries, or even damaged houses.

She added that while the weather disturbance brought out a lot of best practices in terms of disaster preparations, she would like to highlight the “willingness of communities to undergo pre-emptive evacuation upon the recommendation of their local DRRM councils, local DRRM offices and local chief executives”.

“They are very cooperative and they knew where the designated evacuation centers of their LGUs. We also would like to highlight those who are managing their evacuation camps, those who activated their social welfare, DRRM offices, and security cluster,” she said.

The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC) said two highly-urbanized cities and six provinces conducted pre-disaster risk assessment (PDRA), which looked into their level of risk, hazards, vulnerabilities, capacities, resources and personnel behind the disaster response.

Meanwhile, Christian Nagaynay, OIC division chief of the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG-6 or Western Visayas) Local Government Capability Development Division (LGCDD), said the “Oplan Listo” is working well.

Oplan Listo is a disaster preparedness manual institutionalized by the DILG.

“The Oplan Listo has been working effectively for our local government units because prior to this, there has been no standards to use from the organization level of their local disaster risk reduction management council to the necessary activities that they need to establish in order for them to prepare,” Nagaynay said.

Claud Jan Marquez of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Western Visayas (DSWD-6), in his report, said a total of 1,196 families composed of 4,609 individuals from 31 barangays in the region were preemptively relocated to 51 evacuation centers on Feb. 20 and 21.

DSWD is yet to give an update on the status of families temporarily sheltered in evacuation centers.Perla Lena/PNA