Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson has raised the status of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Operations Center to blue or heightened alert in Negros Occidental effective March 27 to April 1 in observance of Holy Week (Semana Santa).
Lacson, in a memorandum released Friday, March 22, also advised all city, municipality and barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Management Centers to raise the alert status in their respective operations centers to blue alert.
He stressed the need for heightened road safety measures and deployment of responders to different areas of mass convergence like churches, beaches, resorts and rivers.
Lacson also said Negrenses should remember why Holy Week is being celebrated, which is “the sacrifice He (Jesus Christ) went through to save us all”.
“We should be thankful for that sacrifice,” he said.
He also reminded the public to be careful during their travels over the holidays.
“El Niño is still around so let’s keep ourselves hydrated,” Lacson said.*