TRIPS SUSPENDED. Typhoon Odette forces the suspension of trips of vessels from Bredco port in Bacolod City on Wednesday (Dec. 15, 2021). Tropical Cycle Wind Signal No. 1 has been raised all over Negros Occidental, including the capital city of Bacolod, as of 11 a.m., latest weather bulletin showed.(Photo courtesy of Coast Guard Station-Negros Occidental) BACOLOD CITY - All disaster operations centers in Negros Occidental went on red alert on Wednesday to be ready for the possible onslaught of Typhoon Odette. As of 11 a.m., Tropical Cycle Wind Signal No. 1 has been hoisted all over Negros Occidental, based on the latest bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). "Odette" has intensified into a typhoon as it moves westward over the Philippine Sea east of Mindanao, the weather bureau said. "Heighten your preparedness, initiate proactive measures and take appropriate precautionary actions for possible flooding, flash floods, or landslides," Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, who chairs the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), said in an advisory issued to all chairpersons of DRRMCs in the province's 12 component cities and 19 municipalities. Red alert is raised in anticipation of an imminent emergency and requires response agency staffing in the operations center and immediate inter-agency coordination. In this capital city, Mayor Evelio Leonardia issued an order activating the Emergency Operations Center as he called on all Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committees (BDRRMCs) in all 61 villages, government institutions, and residents of Bacolod to be prepared. He also advised communities in low-lying, flood-prone areas and those along shorelines or near bodies of water to stay alert. In his advisory, Leonardia directed the BDRRMCs to activate their respective operations center. "Constantly monitor weather advisories and conduct recoridas to warn residents along shorelines for possible surges, floods, and landslides," he added. Dr. Anna Maria Laarni Pornan, city disaster risk reduction and management officer, said village heads have also been instructed to identify evacuation centers and preposition relief food, non-food supplies, and rescue equipment. "Minimum health protocols must be observed especially at the evacuation centers," she added. Pornan also said fishing activities are prohibited when the seas get rough. (PNA) }