MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) evacuated 561,528 individuals and 161,527 families from six regions as of Sunday morning ahead of Super Typhoon Pepito (international name: Man-yi).
In an advisory, the PCG said the evacuations were performed by around 6,790 personnel and were part of its monitoring activities in the regions of Bicol, Southern Tagalog, Northwestern Luzon, Northeastern Luzon, National Capital Region (NCR), and Eastern Visayas.
“The [PCG] Command has deployed seven vessels and 613 land mobility and surface vehicles to send force augmentation and support the national government’s humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations,” according to the advisory.
In addition, PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan ordered the full mobilization of relief efforts for communities affected by the super typhoon.
The PCG Civil Relations Service (CGCRS) invited the public to make non-perishable donations including bottled water, noodles, canned goods, alcohol, bath and laundry soap, diapers, medicines, dental hygiene kits, 3-in-1 coffee, rice, biscuits, face masks, and blankets.
In-kind donations can be dropped off at the CGCRS headquarters, Coast Guard Base Farola, Muelle Dele Industria Compound, Binondo, Manila.
Those interested may also contact the CGCRS through email at cgcrs.7crs@gmail.com, mobile at 0993 796 8973, or through their Facebook page Coast Guard Civil Relations Service.
In its 2 p.m. severe weather bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Pepito was last seen over the coastal waters of Baler, Aurora packing maximum sustained winds of 185 km. per hour (kph) near the center, and gustiness of up to 230 kph. It is moving northwest at 20 kph.
The powerful typhoon is forecast to make landfall in the vicinity of Aurora between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Pepito is expected to exit the landmass of Luzon Sunday night or early Monday morning, Pagasa said.