With these words, DOST Secretary Mario G. Montejo reminded all participating local government officials to set in motion the key learnings from the series of disaster risk reduction and mitigation (DRRM) workshops held in all 17 regions over the summer conducted by the science department and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to prepare for worst-case scenarios such as Typhoon Ruby, which entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility Thursday morning, December 4th.

The DRRM workshops, called “Iba Na AngPanahon/Science for Safer Communities,” were in response to the need for heightened awareness and closer coordination among stakeholders in the wake of Typhoon Yolanda. They promoted a more science-based, scenario-oriented approach that highlighted the preventive aspect of disaster risk reduction and mitigation.

Likewise, Montejo advised the public to stay tuned for the latest developments on the typhoon track through reliable sources such as the DOST’s PAGASA and Project NOAH websites.He warned against the spreading of unverified news information via text messages and social media that only cause panic and confusion in the populace.

As of 11 AM, December 4th, Typhoon Ruby was spotted 860 kilometers east of Surigao City and packing maximum winds of 195 kilometers per hour near the center with gustiness reaching 230 KPH. The typhoon is forecast to move at a rate of 20 KPH west northwest and make landfall by late Friday evening or early Saturday morning. (S&T Media Service)