A total of 120,888 families, or nearly 433,000 individual,ls, were preemptively evacuated to reduce casualties from Severe Tropical Storm ‘‘Opong,’’ the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported on Friday.
OCD Deputy Administrator Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said most evacuees came from Bicol, Eastern Visayas, and Mimaropa, where the storm had passed.
He noted the storm’s eye traversed Samar before making landfall in Palanas, Masbate, and later in Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro. ‘‘So, our operations will be nonstop today and we will be closely monitoring the impact of Opong,’’ he said.
Electricity remains out in all 21 municipalities of Masbate after strong winds and heavy rains toppled power lines across Masbate mainland, Ticao Island, and Burias Island.
‘‘Almost the entire province is without power,’’ OCD spokesperson Junie Castillo said. He added that while communication lines remain open, full power restoration is uncertain due to rough seas and blocked roads. ‘‘The challenge right now is reaching the major islands while the weather remains bad,’’ he added.
Alejandro assured the public that support is in place, with sufficient medical supplies, aircraft, and about 52,000 standby personnel ready to augment local governments. ‘‘We have more or less 52,000 personnel on standby at a given notice that can be deployed or utilized,’’ he said.
He also noted that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has about P3 billion in standby funds, while the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has 833 teams with equipment ready to support telecom services.
The national government has placed all agencies on full alert, following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order for a ‘‘100 percent mobilization’’ of resources.
‘‘Rest assured that we are in full force. We are on red alert, following the directive of President Marcos,’’Alejandro said.
Nearly 1,000 personnel have already been deployed, while 389 evacuation centers are now housing displaced families.
Authorities are still assessing the full extent of Opong’s impact as it brings heavy rains and strong winds across several regions, even as recovery continues in Northern Luzon areas earlier devastated by Super Typhoon ‘‘Nando.’’
