660,000 persons evacuated – NDRRMC

Information dissemination and evacuation held in provinces affected by Typhoon ‘Ruby’ (via PNP Facebook page; photo courtesy of local police stations)

MANILA – Around 656,082 persons have been evacuated in safer areas in the provinces that will affected by typhoon “Ruby”, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Saturday.

In a press briefing, NDRRMC executive director Alexander Pama said that 656,082 persons have been evacuated in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and Caraga region

He also said that 2,160 persons and 80 vessels stranded in different ports in Naga, Camarines Sur; Legazpi in Albay; Tacloban in Leyte while Calbayog in Western Samar have been closed

He said that power outages were reported in Marabut in Samar and Borongan, Eastern Samar while Albay declared state of calamity.

Meanwhile, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 8 director Blanche Gobenciong said she is in Tacloban City and strong winds and rain are now being felt there.

She said that power outages are now being experienced in the city while part of the roof of the Leyte Sports Academy’s grandstand has been blown away.

She also said the water level of the Catubig River in Catubig, Northern Samar, has reportedly risen.

She also said that evacuees in Eastern Visayas reached 60,579 persons or 12,236 families.

For his part, OCD 5 director Rafaelito Alejandro IV said that preemptive evacuations are still ongoing in Bicol, no definite number yet but in Albay alone now has 115,000 families that evacuated and Albay targets to evacuate 126,000 families. He said Albay has declared a state of calamity; “that will unlock the calamity fund para magamit na sa pangangailangan.“