BALER, Aurora April 11, 2012-Amid government warnings that no less than five of this province’s towns will be affected once North Korea pushed its controversial satellite launch this week, Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo yesterday expressed grave concern over the lack of safety measures by the national government in dealing with the threat of the missile launch.
Angara-Castillo told The STAR by phone that while the missile launch is alarming, also equally alarming is the lack of safety guidelines drawn up by the national government, particularly the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management council.
“The national government has to have specific guidelines. They should have clear prescribed measures to be followed by local government units,” she said.
Angara-Castillo aired her concern after the NDRRMC on Tuesday sounded the alarm on areas that will be affected by debris from the North Korean rocket.
NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos said among the areas to be affected are the northern Aurora towns of Casiguran, Dilasag and Dinalungan, Dingalan in sourthern Aurora and this capital town.
Angara-Castillo said she has already convened the provincial disaster risk reduction and management council and the provincial government has prohibited people from staying in the beachfront as well as implemented the “no-sail zone” and “no-fishing zone” over areas covered by the declaration in the province.
However, she said the national government is not clear as to what extent of dangers to health and the public fragments from the rocket could use.
“The national government, particularly the NDRRMC has to be more specific so that the people, particularly in Aurora will be sufficiently alarmed,” she said.
She said no forced evacuation of local residents is yet being considered by the provincial government even if such possibility is being raised by the Department of the Interior and Local Governments.
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