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Filipino communists urge collective effort to deal with massive Typhoon

By Communist Party of the Philippines

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Nov. 7 statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). CPP calls on forces to collectively confront incoming storm Haiyan

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today called on all revolutionary forces, especially barrio revolutionary committees in areas within scope of the most likely path of the incoming super-typhoon, to immediately put into place plans to collectively confront the possibly disastrous impact of the strong winds, rains, floods, landslides and mudflows in order to minimize the loss of lives and immediately undertake rehabilitation efforts.

According to international weather monitoring agencies, tropical storm Haiyan (local name Yolanda) is set to impact any part of the Philippine archipelago from Bicol to Northern Mindanao on Friday afternoon with winds reaching more than 215 kph.

“All revolutionary government committees down to the Barrio Revolutionary Committees, local branches of the CPP, basic units of the New People’s Army and revolutionary mass organizations in Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, Negros Island, Southern Mindanao, North Eastern Mindanao, North Central Mindanao and adjacent regions should immediately undertake efforts to prepare for the impact of typhoon Haiyan,” said the CPP.

“BRCs in populated areas in geologically hazardous areas, including those at the foot of mining areas and logged over mountains, must prepare to mobilize for organized mass evacuation, putting into place measures to collectively monitor the exact path of the typhoon in the crucial hours before impact, as well as areas of likely floods and mudflows, in order to act with dispatch in the face of any contingency.”

“Every BRC should ensure the safety and welfare of the entire population in their areas of responsibility,” said the CPP. “They must give special attention to the elderly, the sick, the children, the widows and others who may not be able to sufficiently prepare for the storm.”

“The BRCs should be able to account for the entire barrio population during and immediately after the storm and promptly carry out emergency rescue operations when the need arises,” said the CPP.

“In the past, the organized mobilization and swift action of the local Party branches and the barrio committees have been the most crucial factor in ensuring the safety of the population, minimizing the impact of storms and assisting the masses in immediately resuming their lives,” pointed out the CPP.

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