Quezon residents told to evacuate, prepare for Pepito

Quezon Province Governor Helen Tan ordered local disaster risk reduction and management offices on Friday to conduct pre-emptive and forced evacuation especially in areas at-risk for flooding, landslides, and storm surges.

According to Jun Veneracion’s report in “24 Oras,” the police and the military were tapped to force residents to evacuate amid the threat of Typhoon Pepito.

Provincial responders are already on alert and supplies in evacuation centers were already prepared. 

“At kung hindi susunod ang ating mga kababayan, tinalaga na rin ang PNP at Army para tumulong sa pagsiguro ng forced evacuation sa ating mga kababayan na hindi susunod,” said Melchor Avenilla of Quezon Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

(If there are people who will not follow, the PNP and the Army are there to ensure the success of the forced evacuation on our residents.)

In Lucena City, Philippine Coast Guard personnel made rounds in the town to warn residents of the threat posed by Pepito.

Residents in Barangay Dalahican, which is a coastal area, are already used to typhoons. Hence, fisherfolks have already docked their boats on the shores and families have already prepared their stuff for evacuation.

“Yung mga gamit po sa amin ay naka-ready na po kanina pang umaga at saka tinaas ko na rin po yung mga gamit namin na pwedeng pasukin ng baha,” said Mara Cater.

(Our things were already prepared this morning and I already moved up our appliances and furnitures in case of flooding.)

Several regions in Luzon and Visayas, including Calabarzon, were already told to pre-emptively evacuate their residents starting Friday due to the threat by Pepito, which may reach a super typhoon category.

PAGASA also warned that Quezon Province may experience 2.1 meters to 3 meters of storm surges in the next 48 hours.

As of 5 p.m., Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 is raised over Quezon Province. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/BAP, GMA Integrated News