THE state weather bureau yesterday cautioned the public that Pepito (international name Man-yi), which intensified into a typhoon, is a very dangerous tropical cyclone.

“The next 24 hours are critical. Pepito moves really fast at 30 kph (kilometers per hour) Lubhang mapanganib ito (It’s very dangerous),” Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Administrator Nathaniel Servando said in a briefing before noon.

The typhoon packs maximum sustained winds of 130 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 160 kph. It could reach the super typhoon category prior to making a landfall on Saturday night or early Sunday.

Pepito was located 630 km east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar as of 10 a.m.

“It is forecast to further intensify as goes nearer the landmass. Torrential rains could result in floods, landslides and storm surge,” Servando said.

He added that areas that are likely to be affected are Eastern Visayas, Bicol Region Central Luzon and Quezon.

In the same briefing, PAGASA forecaster Glaiza Esculiar said Pepito could possibly make a landfall over Catanduanes this weekend.

However, she noted that Samar provinces, Bicol Region, Mimaropa and parts of Central Luzon should also be prepared as these areas are included in Pepito’s forecast track.

Meanwhile, as of 11 a.m., tropical cyclone wind signal (TCWS) No. 2 is hoisted over the eastern portion of Northern Samar (Mapanas, Gamay, Palapag, Lapinig), and the northern portion of Eastern Samar (Arteche, Oras, San Policarpo, Dolores, Jipapad, Maslog).

TCWS No. 1 is hoisted over the southeastern portion of Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, rest of Northern Samar, the rest of Eastern Samar, Samar, and Biliran.

Meanwhile, Ofel (international name Usagi) has further weakened into a severe tropical storm, packing maximum sustained winds of 110 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 135 kph.

Ofel was located 215 km northwest of Calayan, Cagayan or 195 km west of Itbayat, Batanes as of 10 a.m.

Batanes is under TCWS No. 2 while TCWS no. 1 is hoisted over the northern portion of Cagayan (Pamplona, Claveria, Abulug, Sanchez-Mira, Santa Praxedes, Ballesteros), Babuyan Islands, the northern portion of Apayao (Luna, Santa Marcela, Calanasan) and the northern portion of Ilocos Norte (Pagudpud, Adams, Bangui, Dumalneg, Burgos, Pasuquin, Vintar, Bacarra, Piddig, Carasi).

Gale warning is hoisted over the northern seaboard of Northern Luzon.

Esculiar said Ofel might exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Saturday afternoon.

Ofel is forecast to make a landfall over Taiwan and weaken into a low-pressure area. Its reentry to the PAR in the next few days is possible, Esculiar said.

PNP ALL-OUT IN HELPING STORM VICTIMS

Philippine National Police chief General Rommel Francisco Marbil has ordered the deployment of all available police personnel and resources to help mitigate the effects of tropical cyclones Nika and Ofel which brought heavy rains that triggered flooding, the PNP spokesperson said.

Nearly 5,000 police personnel from Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Bicol regions have been deployed to help in the conduct of search, rescue and relief operations ordered by the top cop, said Brigadier Gen. Jean S. Fajardo.

The official said the Police Regional Office 2 headed by Brig. Gen. Antonio P. Marallag Jr. has also implemented preemptive evacuation in parts of Cagayan Valley prior to Nika’s landfall.

Brig. Gen. Marallag’s men have fully assisted local government units in evacuating around 150 families composed of 480 individuals living in low-lying areas to evacuation centers.

Nearly 30,000 individuals were needed to be evacuated to much safer areas in the region due to fears of landslides and massive flooding that may threaten lives and limbs.

The PRO2 is also monitoring bridges and rivers that may overflow in the region and trigger flooding. Since he took over as PRO2 director last September, Brig. Gen. Marallag has already experienced six typhoons that have kept the regional police force busy.

Brig. Gen. Fajardo said 3,500 members of the PNP Reactionary Standby Support Force are also readily available for deployment in case the need arises in the region.

She said Gen. Marbil has ordered all concerned PNP regional directors and field commanders to ensure that they will really look after the welfare of their men’s families and see to it that they will be evacuated to safer areas in case they need to.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, tropical cyclones Nika and Ofel partially damaged some 3,200 houses and totally damaged 292 others in Ilocos-Pangasinan, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Cordillera Administrative Region.

Most of the damaged homes were reported in Cagayan Valley with 2,739, the agency said.

The NDRRMC said the affected population due to Nika and Ofel has increased to 419,923 people or 109,263 families in Regions 1,2,3,5 and CAR.

Cagayan Valley has the most number of affected residents with 228,635 people or 58,171 families.

DSWD THANKS WFP FOR KRISTINE CALAMITY AID

The Department of Social Welfare and Development led by Secretary Rex Gatchalian, has expressed gratitude to the World Food Programme (WFP) providing essential relief to individuals and communities affected by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine.

“We are grateful to WFP for their commitment in helping our communities recover from this crisis. Their support in delivering food and cash assistance to thousands of families has been invaluable. Together, we are able to ensure that our people receive the timely help they need,” Secretary Gatchalian said.

The DSWD has collaborated with the WFP to provide essential food and financial aid to some of the most affected areas in the Bicol Region.

The WFP has been instrumental in enhancing the logistics of the DSWD assisting in transporting over 105,300 boxes of family food packs (FFPs) to the Bicol Region.

The UN agency has also deployed a mobile storage unit in Naga City to ensure the safe storage and distribution of relief supplies.

The DSWD Field Office 5-Bicol Region and the WFP have signed a data-sharing agreement to support cash assistance efforts for vulnerable families under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

This initiative focuses on 18 Kristine-affected towns in Albay and Camarines Sur.

Through this partnership, the WFP provided cash assistance to over 14,400 households enrolled in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) within two weeks of the emergency. Each family received P6,700 to help meet their immediate food needs. PNA, Alfred Dalizon, Jester Manalastas

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