Nearly 1,700 families evacuated in Zambales due to Pepito

INQUIRER FILES

SAN ANTONIO, Zambales — A total of 1,698 families, or 4,434 individuals, evacuated their homes in Zambales on Sunday night, Nov. 17, due to the impact of Super Typhoon Pepito (international name: Man-yi).

Rolex Estella, head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), said the preemptive evacuation was prompted by gusty winds that swept through the province overnight.

Most of the evacuees were from the northern municipalities of Sta. Cruz, Candelaria, Masinloc, Palauig, and Botolan.

Despite the evacuations, Estella said no areas in the province were reported as flooded.

Zambales, placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 on Sunday, experienced light to moderate rains with occasional heavy downpours as the typhoon made its second landfall in Dipaculao, Aurora.

Classes at all levels across the province and nearby Olongapo City were suspended on Monday, as a safety precaution.

As of 5 a.m. on Monday, the latest weather bulletin indicated that Pepito was moving farther away from the country’s landmass. Signal No. 2 remains hoisted over Sta. Cruz and Candelaria, while Signal No. 1 is in effect in Iba, Botolan, Cabangan, Palauig, and Masinloc. INQ

READ: PCG suspends sea travel in Zambales due to Pepito