Iloilo City raises Blue Alert as TD Kiyapo threatens Western Visayas

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — The Iloilo City Government has placed the city under Blue Alert and activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) as Tropical Depression Kiyapo is expected to bring heavy rains and possible flooding over Western Visayas in the coming days.

Mayor Raisa S. Treñas, chairperson of the Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (ICDRRMC), signed the directive on July 23 ordering disaster response clusters, district councils, barangay disaster committees, and concerned government agencies to heighten preparedness measures ahead of the weather disturbance.

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The order takes effect beginning 12 noon on July 24 and will remain in force until lifted.

According to the memorandum, the decision was based on monitoring by the Iloilo City Operations Center and the latest forecast issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), which placed the center of Tropical Depression Kiyapo east of Northern Luzon as of 11 a.m. Thursday. The cyclone was packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour, gusts of up to 55 km/h, and moving northwestward at 25 km/h.

Pagasa also warned of heavy rainfall associated with both Kiyapo and the southwest monsoon, with Iloilo expected to receive 50 to 100 millimeters of rain from Friday noon until Saturday noon. Rainfall may be heavier in mountainous and elevated areas, increasing the risk of flooding and rain-induced landslides.

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Under the Blue Alert, all ICDRRMC vice chairpersons, cluster leads, and members have been directed to remain on standby for possible deployment, closely monitor weather conditions, and immediately report incidents to their assigned response clusters to ensure rapid coordination among concerned offices.

The memorandum also instructs all District Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (DDRRMCs) and Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committees (BDRRMCs) to activate their respective emergency operations centers, raise their own alert status to Blue Alert, and implement disaster preparedness measures to protect residents.

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Barangays, district councils, key offices, and partner agencies have likewise been ordered to regularly submit situational reports to the Iloilo City Emergency Operations Center as weather conditions continue to develop.

The city government urged residents to stay updated on official weather advisories, monitor local announcements, and prepare for possible heavy rains and related hazards over the next two days. /cb