Pepito unleashes fury on typhoon-weary Phl

Super typhoon “Pepito,” known internationally as “Man-yi,” battered the Philippines on Sunday, uprooting trees, downing power lines, and demolishing houses across its path.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported in its severe weather bulletin at 2 p.m. that “Pepito” was last observed over the coastal waters of Baler, Aurora, with maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h (kph) close to the center and gustiness of up to 230 kph. At 20 kph, it was heading north-west.

Between 2 and 5 p.m. on Sunday, the strong typhoon made landfall close to Aurora. It was tracked proceeding through the upland areas of the Sierra Madre, Caraballo, and Cordillera Central, traversing the northern part of Central Luzon and the southern part of Northern Luzon.

According to PAGASA, “Pepito” is anticipated to leave the island of Luzon between Sunday evening or early Monday morning.

Over the southern part of Quirino (Nagtipunan), the southern part of Nueva Vizcaya (Alfonso Castañeda), and the central part of Aurora (Dipaculao, Baler, Dinalungan, Maria Aurora, Casiguran, San Luis), Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) 5 was issued.

PAGASA cautioned that typhoon-force gusts with “extreme threat to life and property” are anticipated under TCWS 5.

TCWS 4 was raised over the rest of Aurora, the rest of Nueva Vizcaya, the rest of Quirino, the southern portion of Ifugao (Kiangan, Lamut, Tinoc, Asipulo, Lagawe), Benguet, the southern portion of Ilocos Sur (Alilem, Sugpon, Suyo, Santa Cruz, Tagudin), La Union, the eastern portion of Pangasinan (Sison, Tayug, Binalonan, San Manuel, Asingan, San Quintin, Santa Maria, Natividad, San Nicolas, Balungao, Pozorrubio, Laoac, San Jacinto, San Fabian, Manaoag, City of Urdaneta, Rosales, Umingan, Mangaldan, Mapandan, Villasis, Santo Tomas), the northern portion of Nueva Ecija (Gabaldon, Laur, Bongabon, Pantabangan, Rizal, General Mamerto Natividad, Lupao, San Jose City, Llanera, Carranglan, Science City of Muñoz, Talugtug, Cuyapo), and the northern and eastern portion of Polillo Islands (Panukulan, Burdeos, Patnanungan, and Jomalig).

The remainder of Ifugao, Mountain Province, the southern part of Abra (Tubo, Luba, Pilar, Villaviciosa, San Isidro, Pidigan, Langiden, Langiden, San Quintin, Bangued, Manabo), the northern and eastern parts of Tarlac (Paniqui, La Paz, Moncada, City of Tarlac, Gerona, Pura, San Clemente, Santa Ignacia, Victoria, Camiling, Concepcion, Ramos, San Manuel, Anao), the northern part of Bulacan (Doña Remedios Trinidad, San Miguel), the northern part of Quezon (Infanta, General Nakar), and the remainder of the Polillo Islands were all covered by TCWS 3.

The rest of Isabela, the southwestern portion of mainland Cagayan (Enrile, Tuao, Solana, Tuguegarao City, Piat, Rizal), Kalinga, the southern portion of Apayao (Conner, Kabugao), the rest of Abra, Ilocos Norte, Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, the rest of Bulacan, Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, the central and eastern portions of Quezon (Pitogo, Buenavista, Lucena City, Calauag, Pagbilao, Tiaong, Lopez, Guinayangan, Unisan, General Luna, Plaridel, Quezon, San Antonio, Alabat, Candelaria, Lucban, Sampaloc, Padre Burgos, Sariaya, City of Tayabas, Macalelon, Mauban, Dolores, Perez, Agdangan, Gumaca, Atimonan, Real, Tagkawayan), Camarines Norte, and the northwestern portion of Camarines Sur (Del Gallego, Ragay, Lupi, Sipocot) were under TCWS 2.

The remainder of mainland Cagayan, Apayao, Batangas, the northern part of Occidental Mindoro (Abra de Ilog, Paluan), including the Lubang Islands, the northern part of Oriental Mindoro (Puerto Galera, San Teodoro, Naujan, Baco, Victoria, Socorro, Pinamalayan, Gloria, Pola, City of Calapan), the north-west part of Romblon (Banton, Corcuera, Concepcion), Marinduque, the remainder of Quezon, the rest of Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, the northern part of Sorsogon (Donsol, Pilar, Castilla, City of Sorsogon, Prieto Diaz), and Burias Island are all covered by TCWS 1.

As of Sunday afternoon, airports operated by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) in Virac, Naga, Masbate, Legazpi, Daet, Sorsogon, Bulan and Bicol have resumed normal operations.

Virac Airport and Bicol International Airport sustained only minor damage, and all facilities, equipment and runways have been inspected and restored, the CAAP said.

In Area Center 8, covering Tacloban and nearby airports, operations have fully resumed without further flight suspensions.

However, several cancellations were reported, including four flights in Dumaguete, one in BPIA, and four in Zamboanga, affecting 269 passengers.

Tuguegarao Airport saw six canceled flights, impacting 712 passengers, while Cauayan Airport experienced cancellations of four flights affecting 350 passengers.

Surigao Airport also had four canceled flights, but no passengers were affected due to prior advisories.

“Pepito” made landfall late Saturday on the island of Catanduanes, where it packed sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour (115 miles per hour) and gusts reaching 230 kph.

As it continued its path, it prompted over 1.2 million people to evacuate their homes in advance of the storm, which the country’s national weather agency, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA, described as having a “life-threatening” impact.

Marching order

In the wake of Pepito’s impact, the Philippine government, on the order of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has mobilized all of its agencies “to be all hands on deck” to aid affected residents.

One such agency, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), said activated its shelter clusters along typhoon Pepito’s expected path to provide aid and support to affected areas.

The typhoon made its second landfall in Aurora province, on the eastern coast of Luzon, where about 2,000 people sought refuge in emergency evacuation shelters.

Local authorities in Dipaculao municipality in Aurora reported that some residents had stayed behind to protect their property or livestock, despite the warnings.

“Some of our countrymen are really hard-headed. They do not believe us until the typhoon arrives,” said Geofry Parrocha, a communications officer for the Dipaculao disaster agency.

Civil defense chief Ariel Nepomuceno confirmed that structures on Catanduanes had been “extensively” damaged by the typhoon, and warned that “Pepito” was expected to retain its super typhoon status as it moved across Luzon — the Philippines’ most populous and economically vital island.

Fatalities were yet to be reported at press time.

The typhoon’s path is expected to cause severe flooding and landslides across affected regions, with the weather service forecasting up to 200 millimeters (nearly 8 inches) of rain in the next 24 hours.

Authorities also warned of widespread disruptions, particularly as Pepito’s torrential rains and high winds continued to wreak havoc across provinces in its trajectory.

In the town of Panganiban, on the northeastern tip of Catanduanes, Pepito’s destructive power was fully evident.

Photos and videos shared by Mayor Cesar Robles on social media showed fallen trees, power lines, and debris scattered across the streets, while damaged and destroyed buildings were visible in nearly every direction.

“Pepito” was so strong, I have never experienced a typhoon this strong,” Robles said. He noted that while clean-up operations had begun, the situation remained dangerous.

“It is still a bit unsafe, there are still bursts of wind and there are many debris,” he added.

Residents like Marissa Cueva Alejandro, a mother of three who sheltered with relatives during the storm, expressed growing concern over the increasing strength of recent typhoons.

Alejandro, who grew up in Catanduanes, said typhoons were becoming more powerful with each passing year.

“Before, we would only experience (typhoon) signal number three to four, but now typhoons are getting as strong as signal number five,” she said, referring to the weather service’s scale for classifying the intensity of storms.

Death, destruction

“Pepito” is the sixth major storm to hit the Philippines in just the past month, a staggering frequency that has left widespread destruction in its wake.

Previous storms have claimed the lives of at least 163 people, and caused massive displacement, destruction of crops, and loss of livestock.

Climate experts have warned that the intensity of storms like Pepito is a direct result of climate change, which is driving stronger gusts, heavier rains, and more severe flooding in the region.