More than 150 residents in two municipalities in Ilocos Sur were preemptively evacuated on Wednesday as Tropical Storm Maymay and rough sea conditions threatened coastal communities, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.
The evacuation operations were carried out by the Coast Guard District Northwestern Luzon through Coast Guard Station Ilocos Sur in coordination with local government units and emergency response agencies.
In the municipality of Santa, personnel from Coast Guard Sub-Station Santa, working with the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), evacuated 25 families, or 100 individuals, from Barangay Tabuculan. The evacuees were transported to the Municipal Evacuation Center in Barangay Magsaysay.
Meanwhile, in Tagudin, the Coast Guard Sub-Station Tagudin Deployable Response Group joined forces with the MDRRMO, the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology to conduct preemptive evacuations in Barangays Farola and Libtong.
The operation relocated 16 families, or 51 individuals, to the Regional Evacuation Center in Barangay Bucao East.
In total, 41 families comprising 151 individuals were safely moved to evacuation centers without any reported injuries or incidents.
The Coast Guard said the preemptive evacuations were conducted in anticipation of the hazards posed by Tropical Storm Maymay and the prevailing rough sea conditions affecting parts of northwestern Luzon.
Authorities said Coast Guard Station Ilocos Sur remains on heightened alert and is prepared to respond to emergencies as the tropical cyclone continues to affect parts of the country. The agency urged residents in vulnerable areas to follow the instructions of local authorities and disaster response officials to ensure their safety.