Over 26,000 Northern Samar Residents Relocated as Super Typhoon Pepito Approaches.
Catarman: At least 26,204 individuals in Northern Samar province have been relocated to evacuation centers as Super Typhoon Pepito, known internationally as Man-yi, advances towards the nearby Bicol Region. These evacuations come as a precautionary measure to mitigate the impacts of potential flooding, landslides, and storm surges.
According to Philippines News Agency, reports from the provincial disaster risk reduction management office indicated that the displaced individuals belong to 7,012 families residing in 569 villages within the province. These areas are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather conditions. Northern Samar Governor Edwin Ongchuan emphasized on social media the importance of residents remaining in evacuation centers until conditions improve and local authorities give clearance to return home.
The residents affected by this evacuation order hail from multiple towns, including Allen, Biri, Bobon, Capul, Catarman, Catubig, Gamay, Laoang, Lapinig, Las Navas, Lavezares, Lope de Vega, Map
anas, Mondragon, Palapag, Pambujan, Rosario, San Antonio, San Isidro, San Jose, and San Roque.
In a related development, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Eastern Visayas regional office has reported that 18,190 individuals in Eastern Samar and Samar provinces have undergone preemptive evacuation. DSWD regional information officer Joshua Kempis noted that data collection is ongoing to assess the current situation and ensure the agency’s readiness in managing the crisis.
Local disaster risk reduction and management offices have been actively warning residents of life-threatening inundation risks due to rising seawater and high waves in low-lying coastal areas. In response to the impending threat, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has deployed two composite teams to Northern Samar and Eastern Samar provinces to coordinate efforts aimed at achieving zero casualties.
As of 2 p.m. on Saturday, tropical cyclone warning signal number 3 was issued for the eastern and
central parts of Northern Samar, including towns such as Palapag, Laoang, and Mapanas, as well as the northern section of Eastern Samar. Signal number 2 covers the central portion of Eastern Samar and the northern part of Samar, while signal number 1 includes the rest of Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, and parts of Leyte.