PDRRMC members assist returning families in Buhi, Camarines Sur (photo credits: EDMERO/ MDRRMO Buhi/PDRRRMC)
LEGAZPI CITY (PIA) — Following the passage of Super Typhoon Pepito, local government units in the Bicol region are actively assisting thousands of residents in returning to their homes from evacuation centers.
As of 4 p.m. on November 17, over 13,000 evacuees have been sent back to their villages, according to the Camarines Sur Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC). This follows the preemptive evacuation of more than 75,000 families ahead of the typhoon’s landfall.
While most areas are now safe for residents to return, coastal municipalities in Camarines Sur, including Caramoan, Garchitorena, Tinambac, Siruma, and North Coastal Lagonoy, experienced significant damage, leaving hundreds of residents without homes.
Garchitorena Mayor Leda San Luis expressed gratitude to the PDRRMC for their assistance in the preemptive evacuation and commended the swift response of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), uniformed personnel, and other member agencies.
“We are grateful for the support we received during the typhoon,” said Mayor San Luis. “Our priority now is to help those who lost their homes and ensure the safety of all residents as they return to their communities.”
In Garchitorena, 100 houses were destroyed during the typhoon’s onslaught. However, no deaths have been reported in the province.
Meanwhile, Naga City Mayor Nelson Legacion announced the lifting of the general curfew that was implemented on Saturday, November 16, after the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council confirmed the safety of residents returning to their communities.
The province of Sorsogon has also lifted the curfew established by Executive Order No. 40-2024, which was implemented as a precautionary measure. Prior to the typhoon’s landfall, Sorsogon Governor Edwin Hamor provided support to 114 midwifery students who were taking their Licensure Exam in Rawis, Legazpi City. With the assistance of the Ako Bicol Party List (AKB), the students were safely transported back to Sorsogon on Saturday, November 16.
In Albay, acting Governor Glenda Bongao, who also chairs the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), has instructed local leaders and disaster risk reduction officers to prioritize the safety and well-being of residents returning to their homes. She emphasized that evacuations should only occur when it is confirmed safe.
The island province of Catanduanes was severely impacted by Pepito, affecting 24,385 families, or approximately 85,503 individuals. The provincial government ordered a preemptive evacuation after the DOST PAGASA raised Signal No. 5 in the province.
A total of 2,178 families, comprising 8,365 individuals, sought shelter in designated evacuation centers, while another 8,365 families, totaling 28,225 individuals, were relocated to other safe locations. As of now, some evacuees are still residing in the evacuation centers.
This morning, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office V in Bicol provided 1,013 family food packs to seven barangays in Bagamanoc, Catanduanes. (PIA 5)
