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Thousands of families displaced as 'Nina' makes landfall on Christmas Day
Thousand of families were displaced as Typhoon Nina (international name Nock-ten) made a landfall over Bato town in Catanduanes on Christmas Day.
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Nina, packing maximum winds of 185 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 225 kph, made a landfall at 6:30 pm.
Nina was spotted at ?4?
5 km east southeast of Virac, Catanduanes? and?
? projected to move west at 15 kph.?
?It was expected to
?cross Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Southern Quezon, Laguna, Batangas and Cavite.
?T?he Department of Social Welfare and Development said it started to provide relief assistance to affected families.
According to the DSWD Disaster Response and Management Bureau, the typhoon has displaced at least 1,560 families or 6,133 individuals in the Bicol Region and Northern Samar. The displaced families were staying in 16 evacuation centers.
There were 4,088 passengers who were stranded in 10 seaports in Bicol Region, while at least ?23 international and ?21?
local flights were cancelled.?
Malacanang assured the public that all the agencies involved in disaster
?and relief operations were closely working to monitor the typhoon.
“Government workers in the Bicol ??
region, particularly those involved in disaster relief and operations, are working round-the-clock even on Christmas Day as typhoon Nina maintains its strength and continues to pose a serious threat to Bicol region," Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said in a statement.
Tropical Cyclone Warning ?
Signal No. 4 was up over Catanduanes and Camarines Sur.
Signal No. 3 was hoisted over Burias Island, Albay, Camarines Norte, Southern Quezon, Sorsogon and Marinduque.
Metro Manila, Masbate, including Ticlao Island, Oriental Mindoro, Batangas, Laguna, rest of Quezon including Polillo; Occidental Mindoro including Lubang Island; Romblon, Cavite, Rizal, Bulacan, Bataan and Northern Samar were placed under Signal No. 2.
Signal No. 1 was up over Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Zambales, Pampanga, Tarlac, Calamian Group of Islands, Aklan, Capiz, Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, Leyte and Bantayan Island.
?National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Executive Director Ricardo Jalad raised the agency's alert status to red.
During red alert status, the Office of Civil Defense employees, including the uniformed personnel, are on standby to monitor the situation in the areas that could be affected by the weather disturbance.
Typhoon Nina is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Wednesday. Ella Dionisio/DMS
