Navy on red alert in N. Luzon vs ‘Pepeng’

The Philippine Navy on Thursday placed its units in Northern Luzon on red alert status – the highest alert level in the military – in preparation for typhoon “Pepeng," which is expected to make landfall on Saturday. North Luzon Naval Forces commander Commodore Jose Luis Alano said their North Luzon units are already positioned in key areas in Regions I (Ilocos Region) and II (Cagayan Valley) as well as in Central Luzon provinces. “A disaster relief response team was fielded in Cagayan province, two in La Union, one in Pangasinan, and two from the Naval Education and Training Command in Zambales," Alano said. Each team is composed of one commanding officer and 15 enlisted Navy men who are equipped with rubber boats, portable generators, life-saving kits and M35 trucks, according to Alano. Naval reservists in the provinces of Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija have also been tapped to provide assistance should the situation warrants it, he added. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services (Pagasa) said that as of 11 a.m. Thursday, Pepeng was located at 520 kilometers east of Borongan, Eastern Samar . It is moving west-northwest at 24 kilometers per hour (kph). Pagasa said Pepeng could develop into a super typhoon. Packing maximum sustained winds of 175 kph near center and gustiness of winds of up to 210 kph, Pepeng is expected to make a landfall on Friday morning at 220 kms east of Virac, Catanduanes. It is expected to hit 80 kms east of Casiguran, Aurora or 160 kms southeast of Tuguegarao City in Cagayan on Saturday morning and 60 kms northwest of Laoag City in Ilocos Norte on Sunday morning. - GMANews.TV