LTO urges pausing non-essential land travel to and from Bicol as Pepito looms

To prepare for the possible impact of Tropical Storm Pepito, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Thursday urged motorists to suspend non-essential travel to and from the Bicol Region

In an advisory, LTO said starting 6:00 p.m. today, November 14, it is not recommended to travel:

• From the National Capital Region and nearby areas to the Bicol Region, and 
• To and from Visayas and Mindanao via Matnog Port in Matnog, Sorsogon. 

LTO, along with the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) reminded motorists and travelers to take extra caution on the road. 

As of 10 a.m., PAGASA said Tropical Storm Pepito—still outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility and bearing the international name Man-Yi—was estimated at 1,375 km east of northeastern Mindanao.

It is moving west-southwest at 25 km/h, with maximum sustained winds of 85 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 105 km/h, and central pressure of 996 hPa. 

Meanwhile, Typhoon Ofel made landfall in the vicinity of Baggao, Cagayan on Thursday afternoon. 

Ofel was downgraded into a typhoon from a super typhoon. — Sherylin Untalan/BM, GMA Integrated News