THE National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) has raised the “red alert” status on all its operations center in Albay province in connection with the scheduled re-launching on space Thursday of South Korea’s science and technology satellite.

The NDRRMC executive director, Undersecretary Benito Ramos, explained Wednesday that under a red alert status, concerned Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Councils (RDRRMCs), through the Office of Civil Defense, are under strict orders to undertake round-the-clock precautionary measures in their areas of responsibility and advised local DRRMC to initiate pre-emptive measures if the situation warrants.

Ramos came out with the directive following confirmation from Col. Ireneo Maningding, the Philippine defense and armed forces attaché in Seoul, that the Korean government would re-launch its satellite Nov.29 at 4 p.m.

According to Ramos, his red alert order would take effect 8 a.m. in all areas within the 354 to 458 nautical miles radius of Legazpi, Albay.

The satellite rocket, he explained, has to falling parts, which debris have been plotted to fall around the vicinity of the said province.

“The advisory of the NDRRMC is no fly zone on said place, no fishing, no sailing for commercial vessels because of possibility that they would be hit by the falling debris,” Ramos said.

Said satellite rocket, he added, would be cruising at a speed of seven miles per second and would reach the Philippines in 20 minutes after it takes off at tge Saro Space Center, Gehonggun, Jollana Dao, South Korea.

The satellite launch was originally scheduled last Oct. 26 but it was aborted due to some technical glitz.

This is the third attempt by South Korea to launch a satellite in space. The first was on 2009 and another on 2010 but both failed.

More than seven five months ago, the communist North Korea also tried to put its own satellite but also went dud when it fell off in whole into the sea just five minutes after it was let go at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in Pyongyang.

Ramos pointed out though that while North Korea’s failed satellite launch was condemned by the world, South Korea’s has the imprimatur of the international community.