ILOILO CITY - Fisherman Danilo Rivera scurried home on Thursday morning with a small pail of fish and crabs, his last-minute catch before Typhoon Odette barrels across the village of Sto. Niño Sur and other coastal areas in Iloilo province.

While his family would feast on this meager seafood spread for lunch, Rivera said that they may have to leave for higher ground after securing the roof of their shanty in case the storm floods their home, or worse, wash it away from the shore.

Fisherfolk in the coastal village of Sto. Niño Sur scamper to catch fish and crabs before #OdettePH barrels through parts of Iloilo City. pic.twitter.com/OAJNwmUGMX

— Kat Domingo (@_katrinadomingo) December 16, 2021

"Nagtatali na kami ng bahay namin para ang bubong hindi matangay ng hangin," he told ABS-CBN News.

(We have tied our houses to the ground so that the roof will not be blown away by the winds.)

"Kinakabahan kami kasi yang bagyo malakas. Doon ka pa magpupunta sa paaralan, doon ka magtatago," he said.

(We are quite nervous because the storm is strong. We have to go to a school to take shelter.)

• 'Odette' now a super typhoon, JTWC says

In the commercial district of Mandurriao, restaurant owner Allen Mae Pido has instructed her staff to prepare their generators and secure their supplies in case of a power outage.

"Prepared dapat kami kasi kapag umuulan, marami pa ring kumakain," said Pido, who runs a chain of La Paz batchoy soup shops in the city.

(We have to be prepared because a lot of people still order food when it rains.)

Several businesses in Iloilo City’s commercial districts have started to prepare their respective generator sets as a power outage is expected in the city once #OdettePH makes landfall in Iloilo. pic.twitter.com/qh9M6hcOFe

— Kat Domingo (@_katrinadomingo) December 16, 2021

While flooding is not a problem in the more commercial parts of the city, Ilonggos need to brace for hours-long outages during typhoons, she told ABS-CBN News in a separate interview.

"Kapag may dumadating na ano [bagyo], parang biglang namamatay yung kuryente," she said.

(When a typhoon hits, we suddenly lose electricity.)

"Kaya nagstandby na kami ng gas. We have to prepare kasi baka mahaba yung walang lights. Hindi natin alam kung ano talaga yung mangyayari," she said.

(We make sure that extra gas is on standby. We have to prepare in the event that we do not have lights for hours. We really don't know what will happen.)

"If it's needed na magsara kami nang (to close shop) early, we will close early," she said.

Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office OIC Donna Magno urges residents in coastal villages and low-lying areas to evacuate to higher ground, says #OdettePH winds expected to destroy shanties, trigger storm surges. pic.twitter.com/Wl8JFJR4rk

— Kat Domingo (@_katrinadomingo) December 16, 2021

MORE Electric and Power Corporation, the electric distribution utility firm in Iloilo City, has advised that local government that they would be "tripping off" power lines in the city when Odette's winds blow stronger, said Donna Magno, officer in charge of Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office.

"Kapag sobrang lakas na ng bagyo, ang mga poste natin [ng kuryente] may danger din na baka bumagsak so iniiwasan natin yun kasi baka magkasunog," she said.

(When the storm is strong, our electric posts have a tendency to be toppled over so we are trying to prevent live wires from causing fire.)

"They reminded us na ipagbigay alam din sa mga residente natin na ihanda na yung mga generators... mga flashlights kasi talagang magtritrip off sila pagdating ni Odette," she said.

(They reminded us to remind residents to prepare their generators... flashlights because power lines will be tripped off once Odette approaches.)

• Tens of thousands flee homes ahead of Typhoon Odette's landfall

Odette, the 15th storm to hit the Philippines this year, was packing maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour (kph) with gusts of up to 240 kph as of 2 p.m., according to a bulletin from state weather bureau PAGASA.

Odette is forecast to move west northwestward at a speed of 30 kph.

As of 12 noon, the local government of Iloilo City has suspended classes in all levels and work in public offices.

Iloilo City local government suspends classes and work in government offices from December 16 noon to December 17 as the city braces for the onslaught of #TyphoonOdettePH pic.twitter.com/oMIu995yWj

— Kat Domingo (@_katrinadomingo) December 16, 2021

The suspension is effective from 12 noon of December 16 to December 17, according to an executive order from City Mayor Jerry Treñas’ office.

Banks in the city were also given the option to close at 2 p.m. on the said dates, or 2 hours earlier than usual banking hours.

“Private establishments, on the other hand, are given the freedom to determine their work arrangements on the said dates,” the order read.

Iloilo City is among the areas expected to be hit by Typhoon Odette, one of the strongest tropical cyclones to hit the Philippines since supertyphoon Yolanda in 2013.

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