Tens of thousands flee approaching typhoon in central Philippines  ucanews.comTens of thousands flee approaching typhoon in central Philippines  ucanews.com






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January 23, 2015


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Tens of thousands flee approaching typhoon in central Philippines
Authorities say they have 'pre-positioned' relief supplies as Hagupit gets closer to landfall


Villagers in Eastern Samar stand by their makeshift shelters on Friday as Typhoon Hagupit moves closer to making landfall on Saturday (photo by Vincent Go)


Ronald Reyes in Tacloban City and ucanews.com reporters in ManilaPhilippines
December 5, 2014







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Tens of thousands of people fled to safety as Typhoon Hagupit, which is due to make a landfall in the central Philippines on Saturday, neared the country.
In Eastern Samar province, which was devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan last year, at least 12,260 people have been evacuated according to the Office of Civil Defence.
"The evacuation of people, most of them from Tacloban City, is still ongoing, said Blanche Gobenciong, civil defence director, on Friday afternoon.
In the provinces of Surigao del Norte and del sur, some at least 19,259 people have already been evacuated, while some 3,000 individuals were evacuated in the evacuated in Western Visayas region.
Gobenciong said police and military personnel have been "prepositioned" to maintain security while "quick reaction teams" were deployed to "strategic areas" to give assistance to those who will be affected by the typhoon.
Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez said forced evacuation has been implemented even as he urged those who are not from the city to immediately leave.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council announced that 27 Navy ships and 12 military aircraft were on standby status for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief support.
"The primary objective here is zero-casualty," said Major General Jet Velarmino, commander of the Army's 8th Infantry Division in Samar province. He said his troops have been on a "red alert" status since Thursday
Communist rebels also announced on Friday that it is mobilizing its forces in various parts of the country to render assistance to people who may be affected by the typhoon.
"Revolutionary committees and standing organs of political power are in the process of mobilizing the people to carry out preventive evacuation to ensure their safety," said the Communist Party of the Philippines in a statement.
The rebel group said said it will carry out rescue operations "when necessary" and will give special attention to the elderly, children, pregnant women, single parents and others "requiring special assistance in times of emergencies."
The social action arm of the Catholic bishops' conference announced that it has initially released US$45,000 in preparation for the onslaught of the typhoon.
The money was used for the purchase of relief goods that were "prepositioned" in various areas.
"Considering the vast area to be affected, local funds may not suffice. We are, therefore, expecting bigger needs in the coming days," said Josephine Ignaci, head of Caritas Philippines' humanitarian unit department.
She said her office is also initiating a "solidarity appeal" to dioceses nationwide to raise funds. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, meanwhile, called on the faithful not to give in to panic. "Let us focus on being prepared and on being of help," the prelate said in a statement.
"Let us heed all typhoon warnings and all advisories from the government agencies that monitor this type of situations," Tagle said as he called on the faithful "to include prayer in their preparations."
In the province of Leyte, Fr Alcris Badana, coordinator for rehabilitation in the Archdiocese of Palo, said Typhoon Hagupit will likely affect the preparations for the visit of Pope Francis in the country in January.
Fr Neil Tenefrancia, spokesman of the Diocese of Borongan in Samar province, said a lot of churches in the area that were devastated by Haiyan last year are not ready for another typhoon.
"We can’t trust the physical strength of some of these churches," the priest said. He expressed fear that the churches might not be able to protect people who will seek shelter in the structures.
The Philippine weather bureau said that as of 4 p.m. on Friday, the eye of Typhoon Hagupit was located at 500 km east of Borongan town in Eastern Samar province with maximum sustained winds of 215 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 250 kph.






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