15,000 storm evacuees in Bicol go home

Evacuees pack an evacuation center in San Mateo, Rizal, to escape the effects of Typhoon ‘Ompong’ on their town on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. In Bicol, some 15,000 evacuees have returned home after the storm left. INQUIRER FILE

LEGAZPI CITY – At least 4,022 families or 15,205 people who sought shelter in government evacuation centers in Bicol during the onslaught of Typhoon “Ompong” (international name: “Mangkhut”) were allowed to return home on Sunday as the weather normalized, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said on Monday.

Claudio Yucot, OCD Bicol director, in his report to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), said the decampment began Sunday after consultation with the six PDRRMCs.

Yucot said Ompong dumped moderate rainfall in Bicol which prompting disaster authorities to carry out preemptive evacuation of villagers vulnerable to flooding, lahar and mudflows, and landslides.

The OCD report said the preemptive evacuation was reported in Catanduanes (1,140 families or 4,861 persons), Albay (2,126 families or 7,275 persons), Sorsogon (83 families or 423 persons), Masbate (247 families or 936 persons), Camarines Sur (200 families or 853 persons), and Camarines Norte (226 families or 857 persons).

Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) allowed some 1,370 passengers stranded in major ports in Bicol to sail on Sunday after the weather bureau lifted the storm signal in the region.

Rain spawned by Ompong caused various river channels to swell and overflow. It also triggered power outages in the Camarines provinces, the OCD report said. /cbb

Inquirer calls for support for the victims of typhoon Ompong

Responding to appeals for help, the Philippine Daily Inquirer is extending its relief to victims of the recent typhoon Ompong.

Cash donations may be deposited in the Inquirer Foundation Corp. Banco De Oro (BDO) Current Account No: 007960018860 and Swift Code: BNORPHMM.

Inquiries may be addressed to Inquirer’s Corporate Affairs office through Connie Kalagayan at 897-4426, [email protected]  and Bianca Kasilag-Macahilig at 897-8808 local 352, [email protected].