The Philippine Government is taking all necessary measures to deal with
super-typhoon Haiyan, which is expected to hit the country’s central
islands on November 7.
President Benigno Aquino
has requested Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, head of the National
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, to alert all agencies of
the council at the provincial and municipal levels on the typhoon so
that local people can prepare for any emergency.
Authorities in the central region have closed all schools as well as prepared essential food and shelters.
Latest weather forecast from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical
and Astronomical Services Administration said that the eye of typhoon
Haiyan over the Pacific Ocean was located at 1,411 km east of Mindanao
with maximum sustained winds of 150 km per hour (kph) and gustiness of
up to 185 kph.
It is forecast to move-west
northwest at a speed of 30 kph and make landfall on the central
provinces of Samar and Leyte on November 7.
There are 20 storms hitting the Philippines each year. Storm Bopha, the
strongest last year, claimed the lives of 1,100 people and caused the
total material loss of more than 1 billion USD.-VNA