CLOSE to 15,000 individuals have been affected by “Betty” which has weakened, although it remained a typhoon, while moving out of the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said yesterday.
Betty is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility this afternoon or tonight.
Batanes and the eastern portion of Babuyan Islands were still under Signal No. 1.
As of 4 p.m yesterday, Betty was some 410 km east of Itbayat, Batanes, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). It was packing maximum sustained winds of 120 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph. It is moving northward at 15 kph.
Betty has weakened compared to Tuesday afternoon when it had maximum sustained winds of 150 kph and gustiness of 185 kph. If its maximum sustained winds drops by 3 kph, Betty will be downgraded into a severe tropical storm.
Betty was forecast to weaken into a severe tropical storm Wednesday night or Thursday morning. It may further weaken into a tropical storm on Friday night or Saturday morning.
AFFECTED FAMILIES
The NDRRMC, in a situational report, said the 3,821 affected families or 14,908 individuals are from 94 barangays in six regions.
Most are from Central Luzon and Western Visayas with affected population of 1,348 families or 5,361 individuals and 1,356 families or 5,282 individuals, respectively.
Cagayan Valley registered 605 families or 2,510 individuals affected; Mimaropa had 479 families or 1,652 individuals; Ilocos region had 17 families or 56 individuals; and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) had 16 families or 47 individuals.
Of the affected population, NDRRMC said 2,214 families or 8,181 individuals have evacuated either to evacuation centers or to houses of relatives and friends.
The number was down to just 404 families or 1,379 individuals as yesterday morning due to improved weather condition, the NDRRMC said. Nearly half are from Cagayan Valley which still has 190 families or 601 individuals still displaced.
The NDRRMC also said P1.95 million in assistance has been provided to those affected by Betty in the six regions.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it and local government units (LGUs) in the affected areas have distributed over P827,000 worth of assistance, mostly family food packs and non-food relief items.
The Marikina government said evacuation camps have been set up for the possible effects of monsoon rains enhanced by Betty.
The Marikina Public Information Office (PIO) said food, drinking water, hygiene kits, and beddings will be provided to evacuees in the camps where medical personnel have also been assigned.
The city government has also prepared animal cages in the camps. — With Jocelyn Montemayor and Christian Oineza
