Caritas Philippines encouraged the public to “pay extra attention” to government advisories as Typhoon Henry (international name: Hinnamnor) threatens to bring heavy rainfall to northern Luzon on Friday.
Father Antonio Labiao, executive secretary of Caritas Philippines, urged Filipinos “to prioritize their safety and to continue to monitor the situation.”
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration reported that Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal Number 1 has been raised over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, and Santa Ana town in Cagayan province “where heavy rainfall is expected.”
The rest of the northern Philippines, including the national capital region, and parts of western Visayas may experience scattered rain showers due to the typhoon and the enhanced southwest monsoon.
Father Labiao said communities in low-lying areas and in many cities in the capital region “must prepare for possible flash floods.”
He also cautioned against mudslides in mountainous areas of the Cordillera and Ilocos regions.
The priest said the expected rainfall in the coming days “could aggravate the already worst situation in some areas.” He said some provinces are already suffering from floods.
The town of Masantol in Pampanga province, north of Manila, was placed under a state of calamity this week due to persistent flooding.
“Our social action centers in these areas are on standby in case of unfortunate events but we encouraged our communities to remain vigilant to minimize risk,” he said.
The country ranked 17th in the world as the most affected country from extreme weather events in the Global Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2021.
The Philippines, along with Haiti and Pakistan, is categorized in the CRI as “continuously affected by extreme events.”
On September 1, the Philippine National Police deployed disaster response units to the Ilocos, Cordillera, and Cagayan Valley regions for urgent action for possible emergencies.
