Typhoon Pablo makes landfall in Philippines; Initial reports show minimal damage so far

Manila, Philippines – Typhoon Pablo (international name: Bopha) made landfall shortly before 5:00 AM (Manila time, GMT+8) today in Davao Oriental in Mindanao. Initial reports show minimal damage so far, demonstrating effective preparedness actions taken by local government units. In Cagayan de Oro City, an area which was badly hit by Typhoon Washi on December of last year, pre-emptive evacuation was carried out for 15,000 families most vulnerable to flooding. 

However, one of the major concerns likely to arise is the impact and damage of the typhoon to the homes of affected families which will impede them in going back to their homes immediately. Oxfam together with its partners under the Humanitarian Response Consortium (HRC) will begin rapid assessments tomorrow in Mindanao particularly in Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Surigao del Sur.

Initial reports show a total of 8,283 families or 41,608 individuals so far have been evacuated in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. Forecasters predict Typhoon Pablo to be 180 km southwest of Roxas City in the Visayas region by Wednesday morning (December 5) and 230 km northwest of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan on Thursday morning (December 6).

Oxfam is currently the convenor of the Philippine INGO Network (PINGON), a network of international and national humanitarian groups, and is working with the group to harmonize preparedness measures. Oxfam is also closely coordinating with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and the Office of Civil Defence (OCD).

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