Full disaster response as 430K evacuated ahead 'Opong'

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered an all-out government response as Severe Tropical Storm Opong makes its second landfall in Palanas, Masbate, forcing the preemptive evacuation of nearly 430,000 individuals across multiple regions.

Acting on the President’s directive, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported Friday that around 120,888 families have sought temporary shelter in evacuation centers. The largest number of evacuees came from the Bicol Region, which bore the brunt of the storm’s force.

“Sa utos po ng ating Pangulong Marcos and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, we’ve been providing assistance sa abot ng ating makakaya (Under the orders of our President Marcos and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, we’ve been providing assistance to the best of our ability),” said Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Officer-in-Charge Assistant Secretary Rafaelito Alejandro IV in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.

The storm’s destructive path across the Visayas and Bicol has left 14 reported dead, with the NDRRMC still validating casualties linked to both Severe Tropical Storm Opong and the recent Super Typhoon Nando.

The OCD also reported 17 injured individuals and two missing persons, as flooding incidents surged to over 300 nationwide.

“As of this morning, nagkaroon na ng halos 120,888 families ang na-preemptively evacuated or close to 433,000 persons or individuals (As of this morning, around 120,888 families have been preemptively evacuated, or close to 433,000 individuals),” Alejandro said.

The regions currently on alert include Region 5 (Bicol), where over 93,000 families have been evacuated; Region 8 (Eastern Visayas), with approximately 14,945 families displaced; and Region 4B (Mimaropa), where around 4,676 families have sought shelter in evacuation centers.

Alejandro emphasized that Region 4B is now on high alert, with authorities bracing for potential flooding, landslides, and storm surges as Opong continues its trajectory across southern Luzon and the central Philippines

Alejandro noted the Storm Opong continues to move over Masbate, while government response operations are ongoing, especially in Regions 5 and 8.

Meanwhile, Marcos has instructed the NDRRMC and concerned agencies to mobilize all available government resources not only to respond to Opong’s immediate impact but also to sustain ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts in areas still reeling from Super Typhoon Nando, which struck the country earlier this month.

In coordination with local government units (LGUs), the Philippine Coast Guard, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), relief goods, medical assistance, and emergency shelters are being continuously deployed.

The public is urged to stay informed through official channels, heed evacuation orders, and follow safety advisories as Severe Tropical Storm Opong continues to affect large portions of the country.