Many Cebu residents engage in panic buying in anticipation of Typhoon Yolanda

Many residents in Cebu province engaged in panic buying Wednesday night, in the hours before Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) entered the Philippine area of responsibility.

In Cebu City, many people flocked to grocery stores to buy basic goods ranging from food to candles and batteries, radio dzBB's Cebu affiliate reported.

Local officials appealed for calm and asked residents not to engage in panic-buying, the report added.

The report said that as of 9 p.m., most department stores were closed but people continued to queue to buy basic goods.

Some supermarkets in the city ran out of basic goods such as bread and eggs, it added.

Many also lined up to buy flashlights, candles, and water.

Cebu is still recovering from the effects of a magnitude-7.2 quake that hit Central Visayas last Oct. 15. — LBG, GMA News