INTERIOR Secretary Jonvic Remulla commended local government units (LGUs) for their preemptive evacuations in response to Typhoon Nika (International name: Toraji), attributing the swift action to “lessons” learned from Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (International name: Trami).
In a phone interview on People’s Television Network on Wednesday morning, Remulla reported that LGUs had evacuated around 8,000 families from geohazard areas identified by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as Typhoon Nika passed through Northern Luzon.
“If they hadn’t evacuated, perhaps 100 people would have died because many houses were severely damaged,” he said in Filipino.According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), which last updated its data on Tuesday evening, Typhoon Nika caused no reported deaths or missing persons.
However, the NDRRMC recorded two injuries in Central Luzon related to the storm, though these incidents are still being verified.Remulla highlighted the impact of early intervention, saying, “The best part is that, thanks to the lessons from Kristine, we acted promptly, resulting in zero casualties from Typhoon Nika.
”This emphasis on proactive measures reflects an increased focus by LGUs on minimizing risks and safeguarding communities in disaster-prone areas, aiming to replicate this success in future weather events.