A total of 105 families, or 257 individuals, in Bangar, La Union, and 18 families in San Fabian, Pangasinan, evacuated their homes on Thursday night as a precaution against the potential impact of Typhoon Marce (international name Yinxing).
The La Union Provincial Information Office (PIO) informed the Philippine News Agency on Friday that the evacuees from Barangay Mindoro, Bangar, are currently sheltering in the town’s covered court, where they have been provided with food packs.
“The residents evacuated because the area is a small island; if the river overflows, rescue operations would be challenging, hence the preemptive evacuation,” the PIO explained.
In Pangasinan, Vincent Chiu, head of operations and training at the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, stated that the 18 families from San Fabian will be allowed to return home once conditions improve. “They have been supported with essentials by the local government of San Fabian while at the evacuation center, and we continue to monitor the situation,” Chiu said.
Both La Union and Pangasinan are on red alert, with rescuers, vehicles, and equipment on standby for rapid response.
To support relief efforts, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has prepared 28,787 family food packs valued at PHP20.6 million and 14,944 non-food items worth PHP37.3 million for the Ilocos Region residents affected by Marce. As of November 7, La Union has received 2,818 food packs and 11,053 non-food items, while Pangasinan has 3,864 food packs and 806 non-food items in stock.
Currently, the northern and central areas of Pangasinan and La Union remain under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1.