Pepito prods evacuation of over 175,000 in Bicol

FILE PHOTO: Search and rescue operations in Zone 6, Libon, Albay, October 23, 2024. – In the face of threats posed by another fierce tropical cyclone – Super Typhoon Pepito (international name: Man-yi), Bicol authorities evacuate 57,929 families or 177,189 individuals in the region as of Saturday morning, November 16, 2024. | PHOTO: Official Facebook page of Coast Guard District Bicol

LEGAZPI CITY — In the face of threats posed by Super Typhoon Pepito (international name: Man-yi), Bicol authorities evacuated 57,929 families or 177,189 individuals in the region as of Saturday morning.

On Friday, November 15, all six provinces of Bicol ordered the pre-emptive evacuation of families living in houses made with light materials, prone to storm surges, flooding, and landslides.

Office of Civil Defense Bicol spokesperson Gremil Alexis Naz said that based on the initial report, 80,804 individuals were evacuated in Albay, 3,891 in Camarines Norte, 20,648 in Camarines Sur, 11,002 in Catanduanes, 6,035 in Masbate, and 54,809 in Sorsogon.

READ: LIVE UPDATES: Typhoon Pepito

Local government units urged the families in vulnerable areas to evacuate as they could not conduct rescue operations to ensure the safety of their personnel.

As of 8 a.m., November 16, 1,957 passengers, 723 rolling cargoes, 80 vessels, and two motorbancas were stranded in various ports of the region after sea travel was suspended on Friday.

At 10 a.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Pepito intensified into a super typhoon, packing maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of 230 kph.

It was moving west-northwest at 25 kph.

READ: Pepito stops over 3,000 travelers at Luzon, Visayas ports – PCG

Meanwhile, the Camarines Sur disaster response office warned via Facebook on Saturday of “no rescue” during the super typhoon’s pending onslaught and urged folks to evacuate.

The Environment, Disaster Management, and Emergency Response Office (Edmero) of the Camarines Sur provincial government sternly asked its constituents to evacuate now since no rescue operation would be undertaken.

The Camarines Sur Edmero said in a post of Facebook:

“AN BAGYO PO MAKUSOG, KAYA MAG-EVACUATE. KAHAPON MAGHAPON PO NAGPAEBAKWAR AN GABOS NA LGU ASIN MIYEMBRO KAN LDRRMC.

SI DAI PO NAGTUBOD, AT YOUR OWN RISK NA PO YAN.

MAYO PO KITANG RESCUE NIN HULI TA MAKUSOGON AN BAGYO! AN PINAKARESCUE NINDO, MAGPASIRING NA SA MGA EVACUATION CENTERS, NOW NA!

NO RESCUE K PEPITO, EVACUATE!!!!!!”

(The typhoon is strong, so go evacuate. Yesterday, all LGU and members of LDRRMC undertook the evacuation the whole afternoon.

To those who would not obey, you would be at your own risk.

We will not have a rescue since the typhoon is very strong! Your rescue is to go to the evacuation centers now!

No rescue in Pepito, evacuate!!!).