Hundreds evacuated in Calabarzon due to high tide, possible slides

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Philippines – Local government units in the Calabarzon Region consisting of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon enforced a preemptive evacuation as Typhoon “Pedring” pummeled parts of Luzon.

In Cavite, Governor Jonvic Remulla ordered a forced evacuation of 86 families from coastal villages in Noveleta at around 7 a.m. Tuesday due to big waves.

“Not much of the rain but because of the strong wind, the waves have gone up to as high as 8-10 feet,” Remulla said in a phone interview.

He said the evacuees were staying at the San Rafael elementary school in Noveleta until further notice from disaster authorities.

Reports from the regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC) as of 9 a.m. said around 30 families (120 individuals) from Barangay (village) Rosario in Rodriguez, Rizal, were also evacuated to the municipal plaza because of possible landslides.

Ten families from Barangay Banaba in San Mateo, Rizal, were temporarily housed at the village’s covered court.

In Quezon, two families, composed mostly of children, left their homes in Infanta town.

Strong winds also caused a power outage in Real, Infanta, and Nakar, in Quezon and in the entire fourth district of Laguna (composed of the towns of Pila, Sta. Maria, Sta. Cruz, Pagsanjan, Famy, Mabitac, Pangil, Pakil, Siniloan, Cavinti, Luisiana, Lumban, Kalayaan, and Magdalena).

Laguna DRRMC officer Jen Sorel Jasareno said they were keeping an eye on  landslide-prone areas, particularly the riverbanks in Mabitac and in portions of Mt. Makiling in Los Baños.

DRRMC reported 60 passengers stranded at the Batangas City port and 250 at the port in Lucena City and 37 at Puerto Real in Quezon province.