NDRRMC: Over 300 people displaced in Aurora due to Pepito

More than 300 individuals have been displaced in Aurora province due to the onslaught of Tropical Storm Pepito, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Wednesday.

NDRRMC spokesman Mark Timbal told reporters that of the 335 people displaced, a total of 253 are staying in 13 evacuation centers in the province.

Timbal said no casualties were reported.

Pepito made landfall in the vicinity of San Ildefonso Peninsula in Casiguran, Aurora on Tuesday night. According to Timbal, the local government unit said there is no major damage in their area.

Timbal also mentioned that 20 barangays in Pampanga province, one in Masantol and 19 in Macabebe, were flooded due to the effects of the tropical storm.

Flood depth in Pampanga barangays is between one foot to three feet, according to Timbal.

Early Wednesday, state weather bureau PAGASA said Pepito has crossed the rugged terrain of northern Luzon and is now over the Lingayen Gulf.

Pepito is forecast to move generally westward over the West Philippine Sea today, before slowing down and turning northwestward and will exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Thursday morning or afternoon. — RSJ, GMA News