Filipino families seek refuge at a school used as an evacuation center as they prepare for Typhoon Hagupit in Legazpi, Albay province, eastern Philippines Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014. Typhoon Hagupit slammed into the central Philippines’ east coast late Saturday, knocking out power and toppling trees in a region where 650,000 people have fled to safety, still haunted by the massive death and destruction wrought by a monster storm last year. AP/Aaron Favila
MANILA, Philippines–More than half a million people are in various evacuation centers in areas affected by Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit), Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman said Sunday.
“As of 4 a.m., 7 December2014, there are 1,758 evacuation centers serving 132,072 families or 519,758 persons,” Soliman tweeted.
Over P12 million in emergency assistance has been released, she said.
