At least 7,777 families or 21,945 people were evacuated in the Bicol provinces of Albay, Masbate and Catanduanes on Saturday, October 18, amid heavy rains and strong winds spawned by Tropical Storm Ramil, which made landfall over Gubat, Sorsogon on Saturday afternoon.
In its 5 p.m. bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said ‘Ramil’ – which packed a maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 90 kph, was projected to make another landfall in Aurora province by Sunday morning.
Gremil Alexis Naz, spokesperson of Office of Civil Defense Bicol said 4,782 families or 12,677 people were evacuated in the towns of Daraga, Guinobatan, Jovellar, Libon, Malilipot and Pio Duran in Albay province.
In Baras town in Catanduanes, 2,957 families or 9,135 people were evacuated, while 38 families or 133 people were moved to safer grounds inUson town in Masbate. As of noon Saturday, 3,142 passengers were stranded in the various ports in the region after the Philippine Coast Guard ordered the suspension of sea travel.
About 1,004 rolling cargoes, six vessels, and two motorized banca were also stranded. Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 was hoisted in northern portion of Aurora (Casiguran, Dilasag, Dinalungan), Polillo Islands, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, the northern portion of Camarines Sur (Tinambac, Siruma, Goa, San Jose, Lagonoy, Garchitorena, Caramoan, (Presentacion), the extreme eastern portion of Albay (Rapu-Rapu), and the northeastern portion of Sorsogon (Prieto Diaz); and in the northeastern portion of Northern Samar (Laoang, Palapag, Mapanas, Pambujan, San Roque, Mondragon, Gamay) in Eastern Visayas.
Under TCWS No. 1 in Luzon were Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, the rest of Aurora, Nueva Ecija, the eastern portion of Bulacan (Doña Remedios Trinidad, Norzagaray, San Miguel, San Ildefonso, San Rafael, Angat), the eastern portion of Tarlac (Camiling, San Clemente, Santa Ignacia, Paniqui, Moncada, San Manuel, Anao, Ramos, Pura, Victoria, City of Tarlac, La Paz, Concepcion, Gerona), the eastern portion of Pampanga (Magalang, Arayat, Candaba), the northern and eastern portions of Quezon (Tagkawayan, Perez, Alabat, Quezon, Atimonan, Padre Burgos, Unisan, Gumaca, Plaridel, Agdangan, Pagbilao, Mauban, Calauag, Guinayangan, Lopez, Pitogo, Macalelon, General Luna, Catanauan, San Narciso, Buenavista, San Francisco, San Andres, Mulanay, General Nakar, Infanta, Real, Sampaloc), the rest of Camarines Sur, the rest of Albay, the rest of Sorsogon, Burias Island, and Ticao Island
Those in the Visayas were the rest of Northern Samar, the northern portion of Eastern Samar (San Policarpo, Arteche, Oras, Dolores, Maslog, Jipapad, Taft, Can-Avid), and the northern portion of Samar (Matuguinao, San Jose de Buan, Calbayog City, Gandara, Santa Margarita, Pagsanghan, San Jorge, Tagapul-An8