491K individuals evacuated in Bicol due to 'Pepito'

LEGAZPI CITY – The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) 5 (Bicol) reported that 491,047 individuals, or 137,726 families, from the six provinces, moved to evacuation centers as Super Typhoon Pepito (international name Man-yi) continues to threaten the Bicol Region.

In an interview on Saturday, Gremil Alexis Naz, OCD-5 spokesperson, said the number of evacuated persons is expected to increase as reports from local government disaster response units are consolidated.

"We are still waiting for the updated list of evacuees since, for sure, tataas pa po yan (the number will rise)," he said.

Based on the data, Albay evacuated 107,031 families or 363,271 individuals; Camarines Norte with 884 families or 3,891 individuals; and Camarines Sur with 6,108 families or 20,648 individuals.

In Catanduanes, 2,969 families or 11,002 individuals were evacuated; Masbate with 1,670 families or 6,035 individuals; and Sorsogon with 19,064 families or 86,200 individuals.

In a separate interview, Salvador Mendoza, Sorsogon information officer, said they implemented a province-wide curfew to ensure the safety and security of residents.

"All residents are advised to stay indoors. Public and private vehicles are prohibited from operating, except for emergency response and essential services," the advisory said.

Mendoza said rice and hygiene kits were distributed to 14 municipalities and one city.

"Governor Edwin Boby Hamor personally visited all the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices (MDRRMOs) in the province of Sorsogon. The governor appreciated the readiness shown by the MDRRMOs. He visited Juban, Magallanes, Bulan, Matnog, and Sta. Magdalena, Irosin, Bulusan, Barcelona, Gubat, Pto. Diaz, Sorsogon City, Castilla, Pilar, Donsol, and Casiguran," he said.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard District Bicol reported that 1,957 passengers, 723 rolling cargoes, and two vessels are still stranded in various ports in the region.

Ensign Alyzza Bermal said the consolidated report was from the 15 ports in the five provinces in the region.

Bermal said the stranded passengers are at the ports of Matnog (1,506) and Pilar (166), all in Sorsogon; Pio Duran (73) in Albay; and Cawayan (nine); and Mintac (50) and Mobo (144) in Masbate.

The stranded rolling cargoes are at Matnog port (546); Pio Duran (25); Virac (8); and Cawayan (3); Mintac (24); Pilar (37); Castilla (8); San Pascual (9); and Mobo (67).

Pepito has intensified into a super typhoon, packing maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 230 kph.

It was located 185 km east of Catarman, Northern Samar or 250 km east of Juban, Sorsogon as of 10 a.m., and is moving west-northwestward at 25 kph. (PNA)