Its back to work in Albay after Chedeng
by Joyce M. Mejillano

LEGAZPI CITY, May 26 (PIA) --- “Prayers do work!” This has been the sentiments of some Albayanos after typhoon Chedeng spared Albay from its wrath and continue to move Northwest as of 11 a.m. today.

Governor Joey Salceda already ordered the decampment of evacuees within 1st and 2nd district of Albay and lifted the suspension order that he imposed 2 p.m. yesterday for government and private offices in the province.

In his advisory issued at 11;30 a.m. today, Salceda said that evacuees within the 3rd district of Albay should remain in their respective evacuation centers until further notice. But the provincial government maintained its position to ban all sea-faring activities.

Meanwhile, based from DOST-PAGASA bulletin # 13 issued at 11 a.m. today, typhoon Chedeng “has accelerated and gained more strength as it approaches the eastern seaboard of Northern Luzon.” It has a maximum sustained winds of 170 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 205 kph.

On Friday morning, Chedeng is expected to be at 200 km Northeast of Casiguran, Aurora and on Saturday morning it will be at 250 km Northeast of Basco, Batanes. By Sunday, the typhoon will be at 680 km Northeast of Basco or 90 km Southwest of Okinawa, Japan.

Public storm signal number 2 is still raised over Catanduanes and Camarines Sur while the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, Aurora, Quezon, Polillo Island, Marinduque, Burias and Ticao Island and Masbate are all under signal number 1. (MAL/JMM, PIA V)

Chedeng leaves, CamSur disaster managers on 24/7 monitoring, alert status
by Lizel S. Macatangay

PILI, Camarines Sur , May 26 (PIA) --- Camarines Sur Governor LRay Villafuerte refused to be complacent though typhoon Chedeng already veered of Bicol area and continued to enforce pre-emptive evacuation in various coastal towns in the province, particularly in the towns of Balatan and Bato.

Typoon Chedeng is tracking a direction away from the Bicol area as forecasted by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) early this morning.

The typhoon has moved from west northwest to northwest leaving behind intermittent rainfalls that might still flood low lying barangays in the province.

Camarines Sur Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) has already alerted those barangays in the province rated as moderately susceptible to highly susceptible to land slides.

Mine and Geosciences Bureau’s (MGB) data show that the towns of Baao, Balatan, Buhi, Bula, Libmanan, Lupi, Pamplona , San Fernando, Sipocot and Iriga City are identified as landslide prone areas.

MGB classified as “moderately susceptible” the barangays of Antipolo and Pugay in Baao ; Sagrada Nacacale and Camanggahan in Balatan ; Dela Fe, Salvacion, San Jose Baybayon in Buhi; Itanghon, Taisan, Inoyonan, San Francisco, Caorasan, San Roque Heights, La Victoria, and Bagoladio in Bula and Sagrada in Iriga City.

In Libmanan town, barangays which were also classified in the same category includes barangays Villadima, Udoc, Sigamot, Awayan and Tarum while in Lupi, barangays Cabutagan, Poblacion, Barrera Jr, Cristo Rey Barreras Sr., Hamorawon, Antipolo, Baliuag Nuevo and Del Socorro shares the same classification.

Barangays Tampadong in Pamplona, Bical in San Fernando and barangays Gabi, Lipilip, Carayrayan, Lubigan Jr., Lubigan Sr., Gaongan, Malaguico, Azucena, Impig and Bulan in the town of Sipocot were also named as moderate susceptible to possible erosion of land due to tremendous outpour of rain.

PDRRMC strongly recommends to residents of “highly susceptible” barangays to immediately leave and temporarily vacate their areas if continuous heavy rainfalls occur.

These include the barangays of Lubgan in Bula; Caima, Baguito Nuevo in Libmanan; Bagong Sikat, Bangon, Bulawan Jr., Colacling, Bangangan Sr., San Rafael Sur in Lupi; and barangays Tara, Manangke, Taisan, Mangapo, and Cabuyao in Sipocot, Camarines Sur. (MAL/LSM PIA Camarines Sur)

Chedeng update: Coastguard maintains no sailing-at-sea policy except for Matnog port
by Joyce M. Mejillano

LEGAZPI CITY, May 26 (PIA) --- As Chedeng moves to exit the vicinity of Bicol area, Philippine Coastguard-Bicol still maintains its no-sailing-at sea policy except for big sea vessels weighing 1,000 gross tons above.

Lt. Commander Nestor Torre of Coastguard District Office in Bicol said that as of 1:30 p.pm today, they already allow big sea vessels bound to Visayas from Matnog port in Sorsogon to sail since the signal number 2 status has already been lifted in some parts of Bicol Region, including Sorsogon.

Torre said that this development will make the number of stranded passengers in Matnog to subside. He said that as of 12 noon today, there are 4,567 passengers stranded in Matnog ports alone. By midnight, Torre said they are expecting these passengers to finally be transported to their respective destinations.

Meanwhile, Torres stressed that there are still hundreds of evacuees from other ports in different parts of Bicol considering the ban for sailing at seas especially for small sea vessels is still in effect.

He said that they will immediately order the resume of sea-bound trips as soon as PAGASA declare Albay and other concerned area out of public storm signal warning.

As of 11 a.m. today, Catanduanes and Camarines Sur are still under signal number 2, while Albay, Camarines Norte, Sorsogon, Masbate and nearby provinces are under signal number 1. (JMM, PIA V)