Thousands evacuate as Calabarzon braces for ‘Ruby’

Residents stay at an evacuation center as Typhoon Hagupit hits San Juan town, Batangas province, eastern Philippines on Monday, Dec. 8, 2014. Typhoon Hagupit weakened into a storm Monday after it left at least three people dead and sent more than a million others into shelters, sparing the central Philippines the massive devastation that a monster storm inflicted on the region last year. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

MANILA, Philippines — Disaster and local government authorities on Monday implemented the preemptive evacuation of residents living around the Laguna Lake and those from landslide-prone areas as tropical storm ‘Ruby’ was expected to hit Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon).

Laguna Gov. Ramil Hernandez on Monday said 1,605 families (7208 persons) were given shelter in schools and government buildings in the province.

The provincial government, he said, kept watch of several towns and cities, particularly those around the Laguna Lake and low-lying areas.

These, he said, were the towns and cities of Alaminos, Nagcarlan, Rizal, Bay, Calamba, Los Baños, Pila, Pakil, Pangil, Luisiana, Mabitac and Majayjay.

Residents were also evacuated in the rest of the region, according to Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC).

The figures as of Monday afternoon were as follows: Cavite 367 families (1,627 persons); Batangas 677 families (3,338 persons); Rizal 42 families (175 persons); and Quezon 8,031 families (35,777 persons).

“It’s been raining since dawn (on Monday) and if this continues, we are looking at a possibility of massive flooding. We’re not yet even thinking of how it was during typhoon Ondoy but just during the previous Habagats (monsoons),” said RDRRMC information officer Fred Bragas.

Bragas said that in Batangas where Ruby made landfall on Monday night, the critical areas were the towns of San Juan, Tingloy, Lobo, and Batangas City.

In northern Quezon, residents stayed away from the Agos River, fearful of a repeat of the killer flashflood that happened 10 years ago.

More than 500 residents along Agos River in General Nakar town in Quezon province were evacuated to higher ground early Monday should the river overflow from typhoon Ruby’s strong rains, said General Nakar Mayor Leovigildo Rozul said over the phone.

He said local residents, such as those living in five villages along the riverbanks who lost loved ones in the 2004 tragedy, were traumatized by typhoons and strong rains.

In Infanta, Vice Mayor Grace America said riverbank residents have transferred to their respective barangay halls as safety measures.

Meanwhile, Janet Geneblazo-Buelo, Quezon public information officer, said 60,596 persons were evacuated to 452 shelters.