“We are watching ‘Neneng’ closely,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assured the public as the typhoon intensified Sunday and made landfall on Calayan Island, Cagayan.
In a series of tweets, Mr. Marcos said government assets are already “in place to deal with the aftermath and ensure the primary needs of those affected, especially food, safe drinking water and electricity.”
Marcos, who hails from the northern Philippines, urged his province mates to be safe and to follow the directives of their local government units and disaster response councils.
“Nevertheless, to the provinces in the North that have felt the effects, help is on the way,” he said. Government weather bureau PAGASA said “Neneng” rapidly intensified into a typhoon overnight from a severe tropical storm.
“Neneng has undergone extreme rapid intensification and reached typhoon category at 11 a.m. today (Sunday). Further intensification is likely as this tropical cyclone moves over the West Philippine Sea,” PAGASA said.
“Neneng” was last spotted 415 kilometers west of Calayan, Cagayan with winds up to 120 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 150 kph. The typhoon was now moving westward at 20 kph at press time.
“Moderate to heavy rains may prevail over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Apayao, Abra, Benguet, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur,” it said. “Light to moderate with at times heavy rains over the rest of Ilocos Region and Cordillera Administrative Region.”
At least three areas in the western portion of Babuyan Island were placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal 3, including Panuitan Island, Calayan Island, and Dalupiri Island.
Four provinces in Northern Luzon were put under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal 2, including Batanes, the northwestern portion of Cagayan (Santa Praxedes, Claveria, Sanchez-Mira, Pamplona, Abulug, Ballesteros), the northwestern portion of Apayao (Calanasan, Luna, Santa Marcela) and Ilocos Norte.
Kalinga, Abra, the northern and central portions of Ilocos Sur (Gregorio del Pilar, Magsingal, San Esteban, Banayoyo, Burgos, City of Candon, Santa Lucia, Santiago, San Vicente, Santa Catalina, Lidlidda, Nagbukel, Sinait, San Ildefonso, Galimuyod, City of Vigan, San Emilio, Cabugao, Cagayan, San Juan, Santa, Bantay, Santo Domingo, Santa Maria, Narvacan, Salcedo, Santa Cruz), the rest of Apayao, and the rest of Cagayan, were placed under Signal 1.