‘Ambo’ weakens after lashing eastern PH

TYPHOON “Ambo” (international name: “Vongfong”) lost strength on Friday after barreling its way up the eastern coast of the Philippines on Friday.

Ambo has been downgraded to a severe tropical storm as it continued to head for Quezon and Laguna.

Thousands of families fled to shelters as the typhoon hit Quezon and parts of the Bicol region early on Friday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.

In Luzon, the typhoon came ashore on Ticao Island and Burias Island in Masbate and crossed over to the towns of San Andres, Catanuan and Real in Quezon.

Ambo was packing 135 kilometer per hour (kph) winds as it made its first landfall in San Policarpio, Eastern Samar. It made subsequent landfalls in Dalupiri Island and Capul Island, both in Northern Samar.

It has since weakened with winds of up to 100 kph and gusts of up to 140 kph.

It was last tracked at 40 kilometers

south of Infanta, Quezon, moving in a northwest direction at 20 kph.

Signal No. 2 was raised in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, the eastern portion of Pangasinan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Metro Manila, Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Rizal, Marinduque, the northern portion of Quezon, Polillo Islands and the western portion of Camarines Norte.

Under Signal No. 1 are Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Batanes, Zambales, Bataan, the rest of Pangasinan, the rest of Isabela, the rest of Quezon, the rest of Camarines Norte, the western portion of Camarines

Sur and the northeastern portion of Oriental Mindoro.

On Friday, Palace spokesman Harry Roque assured the public that the government was ready for the impact of the typhoon.

“We ask the public, especially those who will be hit by Typhoon Ambo, to remain vigilant and to cooperate with authorities as they implement their disaster preparedness and response to ensure everyone’s safety,” he said in a statement.

With thousands expected to be displaced by Ambo, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian urged local government units to observe physical distancing measures and other coronavirus-related prevention protocols in evacuating those who are in the path of the storm.

Gatchalian expressed fear that the virus might quickly spread in evacuation centers if physical distancing measures are not strictly observed.