Over 3K families evacuate in Region II due to 'Marce'

TUGUEGARAO CITY – Around 3,469 families, or 10,088 individuals, have been pre-emptively evacuated since Wednesday across Region II as Typhoon Marce (international name Yinxing) pummels this northernmost part of mainland Luzon.

In a media briefing on Thursday, regional director Lucia Alan of the Department of Social Welfare and Development office in Region II said the affected families are from the high risk areas in the provinces of Batanes, Cagayan, and Isabela.

She said various government line agencies are now monitoring the evacuees to provide for their needs while in evacuation centers.

As of this posting, the DSWD Region II has reported the distribution of a total of P532,460 worth of food and non-food items to augment local governments in typhoon-hit areas.

This is on top of the continuing relief aid distribution by the respective local government units.

"As of the moment, we have (in the regional office) a total of P139,031,945 million available relief resources with P3 million standby funds for emergency purchase of relief items to typhoon victims," Alan said, citing close coordination with local governments and municipal social welfare offices for real-time reporting of updates about Marce.

Alan said the region has 84,000 family food packs worth P58 million ready for augmentation.

Non-food items composed of sleeping kits, hygiene kits and tents amounting to P78 million are also available, she said.

In addition, the DSWD Region II warehouses located in Abulug, Camalaniugan, Tuguegarao, Ilagan, and Santiago have a stockpile of family food packs on top of the prepositioned goods of every local government unit in the region.

So far, the municipalities of Aparri, Pamplona, and Camalaniugan has already requested for family food packs augmentation from DSWD due to the conduct of pre-emptive evacuation in these areas.

In its 8 p.m. bulletin, the state weather bureau said the center of Marce was estimated over the coastal waters of Aparri, Cagayan, packing more than maximum sustained winds of 175 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 240 km/h.

It said Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 4 has been raised over the northern part of Cagayan (Gonzaga, Santa Ana, Santa Teresita, Lal-Lo, Buguey, Aparri, Camalaniugan, Gattaran, Ballesteros, Allacapan, Abulug, Pamplona, Sanchez-Mira, Claveria, Santa Praxedes, Lasam) including Babuyan Islands, the northern portion of Apayao (Santa Marcela, Luna, Flora, Calanasan, Pudtol), and the northern portion of Ilocos Norte (Pagudpud, Bangui, Vintar, Dumalneg, Adams, Bacarra, Pasuquin, Burgos, Laoag City, Piddig, Carasi, San Nicolas, Sarrat).

"Typhoon Marce will move generally westward, emerge over Aparri Bay, and possibly make another landfall along the coast of northwestern mainland Cagayan tonight. Marce will emerge over the West Philippines tomorrow (8 November) early morning," it added. (PNA)