Humanitarian organization Philippine Red Cross (PRC) would be 90 percent prepared if a cyclone as strong as Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) hits the country.
Red Cross Secretary General Elizabeth Zavalla, in an online forum on the eighth anniversary of Typhoon Yolanda, said the PRC “surmounted” challenges when the super typhoon hit in 2013 with trained personnel and volunteers.
“In terms of gamit at manpower, I think si PRC naman as I had said dahil hindi naman sabay sabay mangyayari sa buong Pilipinas ‘yon (Typhoon Yolanda), may mga tao na nasa ibang lugar na within the Philippines na puwede mong kunin sa mobilization sa lugar (Since these things are not happening in the whole country, we can delegate other personnel from other areas in the Philippines to the affected area.),” said Zavalla, when asked if PRC is ready in case another Yolanda devastated a part of the country.
“So hindi natin sasabihin na one hundred percent, sabihin na natin na 90 percent siguro may preparation na nagawa para sa future disasters (We are not saying we are 100-percent ready but 90 percent, we have preparations for future disasters.),” she said.
Zavalla said since the typhoon ravaged the country, the PRC boosted its assets, personnel, and logistics to improve its readiness for other big disasters.
Yolanda struck in 2013 and is said to the the country’s worst storm after 7,350 people were reported dead or missing.