State of calamity declared in Albay

(Updated 12:41 p.m.) The entire province of Albay has been placed under a state of calamity as residents continue to flock to evacuation centers in the hours ahead of typhoon Mina's landfall. Interviewed on dzBB radio, Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said he requested the provincial board and mayors to support the declaration. "I have signed it ... the order took effect at 11 a.m.," Salceda said in Filipino. GMA News Flash Report quoted Salceda as saying that the local government and disaster management officials have prioritized the evacuation of about 34,000 residents living in the province's eastern seaboard. The affected people live in the municipalities of Tipi, Malinao, Bacacay, Malilipot, Sto. Domingo, Rapu-Rapu and Tabaco City. Salceda said they must be taken to safer grounds before 8 p.m., when "Mina" makes landfall over the Bicol region. - GMANews.TV