Close to 300 families evacuated in Masbate towns as typhoon threatens Bicol

LEGAZPI City, Albay – At least 288 families from four towns in Masbate were evacuated by their respective local authorities on Monday as Bicol Region braces for Typhoon Tisoy (international name: Kammuri) before it makes landfall, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) of Masbate said in a report.

In Mandaon town, 70 families or 273 persons were evacuated while 69 families were taken to evacuation centers in Milagros.

Some 133 families or 565 persons also fled their homes in Pio V Corpuz town while 16 families were evacuated in Palanas.

The evacuees were housed in their designated local evacuation centers.

“Almost all of the municipalities are doing pre-emptive evacuation and preposition of relief goods including the preposition of assets in case of search and rescue,” PDRRMO Masbate-Information Management Section chief Gerald Palacio said.

In Masbate City, the City DRRMO conducted operations briefing for the Incident Management Team before their deployment and will also be imposing pre-emptive evacuation in critical areas.

Both the city and provincial government units announced suspension of classes for Monday and Tuesday.

Edited by JPV