3,600 evacuated in Albay town due to ‘Nina’

LEGAZPI CITY – At least 720 families or 3,600 persons were evacuated in Guinobatan town in Albay due to the threat of Typhoon “Nina” (international name: Nock-ten) Saturday afternoon.

Guinobatan Mayor Gemma Ongjoco said they have started the evacuation of families from villages of Tandarora and Maninila, both flood and lahar prone areas, at around 1 p.m.

Ongjoco said the evacuees will receive the usual package for evacuation such as 5-kilo of rice, canned goods, noodles and hygiene kits.

“There’s no special package for ‘Noche Buena,’ we are still waiting for Department of Social Welfare and Development Office,” she said.

In Camalig town, Rommel Negrete Jr., municipal disaster risk reduction and management officer, said they are expecting to evacuate 5,200 families or 26,000 persons Saturday night until Sunday morning.

These families are at risk from flooding, landslide and lahar flow.

“We will be utilizing the 33 schools while other evacuees have already transferred to their neighbors,” he said.

On Saturday morning, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) ordered mandatory pre-emptive evacuation in 15 towns and three cities of Albay.

Based on the data of Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office, there are 59,796 families or 286,160 prone to flooding and lahar flow in the province.

READ: Over 1-M Albay villagers to be evacuated as ‘Nina’ threatens Bicol

Jerry Deo, provincial disaster risk reduction and management officer of Catanduanes, said the PDRRMC already ordered pre-emptive evacuation but there were no evacuation movement yet in different towns.

“We are still experiencing calm weather; we cannot force people to evacuate in this situation,” he said. JE