NDRRMC: 336 people in Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon evacuated due to Karding

A total of 336 individuals or 97 families were preemptively evacuated in Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon due to Super Typhoon Karding, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Sunday.

Of this number, 300 people or 86 families were from Central Luzon, while 36  or 11 families were from Cagayan Valley.

In Quezon province, the NDRRMC initiated forced evacuation in 20 barangays in Polillo, 13 barangays in Panukulan, six barangays in Patnanungan, and five barangays in Jomalig.

Preemptive evacuation, meanwhile, was conducted in 13 barangays in Burdeos, Quezon.

Based on NDRRMC’s report, red alert status was raised in Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Region, and Bicol Region due to Karding. Meanwhile, Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Mountain Province in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) were also placed under red alert status.

Due to the onslaught of Karding, the NDRRMC said they were constantly coordinating with the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and local chief executives through pre-disaster risk assessment meetings and regular weather updating sessions for possible suspension of classes or work.

DepEd's the recently-reuploaded Department Order (DO) 37 states that in-person and online classes, work, and Alternative Learning System (ALS) are suspended in schools located in areas under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals (TCWS) 1, 2 ,3, 4, or 5.

TCWS from 1 to 5 are currently hoisted over several areas in the country as Karding further intensified Sunday morning.

NDRRMC said their response and rapid deployment teams have been made available in several regions and now on standby for possible deployment.

It added that 150 passengers were also stranded in Batangas Port and were being catered to by the province's Livelihood Center. Provision of humanitarian needs were also coordinated with the Batangas Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) and Calabarzon’s Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) office.

In the Bicol region, 111 tourists were stranded on Calaguas Island, Camarines Norte. Tour operators and tourism staff were already advised that all travel by sea will be canceled on Monday, NDRRMC said. —LBG, GMA News