Laguna suspends gov’t work, evacuations start

SAN PEDRO CITY –– Work in government offices in Laguna on Tuesday was suspended, as hundreds of families evacuate in Laguna and Batangas due to Typhoon “Tisoy.”

Laguna Governor Ramil Hernandez issued the work suspension, with the province placed under storm signal warning 3, according to the weather bureau.

The University of the Philippines Los Baños and the Department of Foreign Affairs-Consular Office in Lipa City, Batangas had also suspended their operations.

Hernandez, however, said exempted from the work suspension were security and disaster response personnel.

In Pakil, Laguna, about 300 residents were evacuated Tuesday to Cornelio C. Dalena Elementary School and a daycare center in Barangay Rizal, a report from the municipal disaster risk reduction and management council (DRRMC) said.

Preemptive evacuations were also enforced, especially in the coastal towns of Batangas.

Initial reports from the DRRMC showed that 225 families (971 persons) were evacuated in Calaca; 54 families (219 persons) in Calatagan; 15 families (81 persons) in San Luis; 5 families (31 persons) in San Pascual; 66 families (315 persons) in Bauan; 46 families (194 persons) in Sto. Tomas City; and 451 families (2,031 persons) in Lipa City./lzb