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MANILA, Philippines – As Typhoon “Rolly” threatens to hit central and southern Luzon in the coming days, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) ordered all telecommunications companies to maintain a sufficient number of personnel in addition to putting the generators on standby.
NTC said in a memo on Friday that telcos should also start pre-placing mobile cell sites in areas that may be affected by Rolly, in case the typhoon affects communications infrastructure.
The results of the preparation, said NTC in the memorandum signed by commissioner Gamaliel Córdoba, must be notified to the commission.
“[…] You are hereby directed to ensure that there are sufficient technical and support staff and standby generators with additional fuel, spare tools and equipment in the areas that are forecast to be affected by the incoming Typhoon Rolly, ”said NTC in your memo.
“In line with this, it is also instructed to pre-place mobile cell sites in affected regions and these should be ready for deployment at any time,” he added.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) previously said in its severe weather bulletin that Rolly was seen 980 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora.
It now has maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts up to 265 kph. Pagasa expects it to intensify even more in the next few hours.
Rolly may make landfall between Aurora and northern Quezon on Sunday night or early Monday morning. Other than that, the state meteorological office also says that signs No. 3 and 4 may rise in some areas, although he acknowledges that there is a chance that Rolly could become a super typhoon.
The wind signal for tropical cyclone No. 1 already rises in Catanduanes.
In addition to Rolly, Pagasa is also monitoring another weather disturbance in Tropical Storm Astani, which is still outside the Philippine area of responsibility. Astani, which will be called “Siony” once it enters local waters on Sunday, is also expected to become a typhoon.
JE
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