Palace advises residents of Northern Luzon to prepare for ‘Typhoon Luis’

Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte. Screenshot of PCCO EDP press briefing video.

MANILA — Malacañang has advised residents of Northern Luzon to brace themselves for ‘Typhoon Luis,’ which PAGASA said, made landfall around 5 pm in the boundary of Cagayan-Isabela area.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte told reporters in a press briefing over radio station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Sunday that the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) has mobilized its local councils in the provinces affected by the typhoon.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Service Administration (PAGASA), the storm had maximum sustained winds of 130 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 160 kph as of Sunday morning.

Storm Signal No. 3 has been raised in the provinces of Apayao, Ilocos Norte, Abra, Kalinga, Isabela, Mountain Province, Ilocos Sur, Ifugao, Northern Aurora, Quirino, Cagayan, including the Babuyan and Calayan Islands.

Signal No. 2 has been raised in Batanes, Benguet, La Union, Nueva Vizcaya, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, and the rest of Aurora; and Signal No. 1 in Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Northern Quezon, and Polillo Island.

“Nag-advise na rin po tayo sa mga local DRRMCs na mag-initiate po ng preemptive evacuation ng mga pamilya sa mga low-lying and mountainous areas, if the situation warrants,” said Valte.

Meanwhile, Valte confirmed that the Philippine Coast Guard is continuing its search for passengers of the ferry that sank off the waters of Southern Leyte last Saturday.

“Ang total na na-recover po natin ay 110 survivors, ngunit hindi po magandang balita na merong tatlong fatalities… Naghahanap pa sila ng three unaccounted passengers, at hopefully, mahanap at sila po ay nasa maayos na kondisyon,” she said.

According to reports, MV Maharlika II, sailing from Lipata, Surigao City to Liloan, Cebu, sank after encountering bad weather.