Devastation hours after Super Typhoon Pepito makes landfall in Panganiban, Catanduanes, on November 16, 2024. Panganiban LGU

MANILA — The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said on Monday that no casualties have been recorded so far from Super Typhoon Pepito, which struck parts of Luzon over the weekend.

• ‘We are calling for help,’ says officer in Pepito-ravaged Catanduanes

Assistant Secretary Cesar Idio, officer-in-charge and deputy administrator for operations at the Office of Civil Defense, clarified that the death of a man riding a motorcycle in Camarines Norte during the height of the typhoon was unrelated to the storm and was considered a vehicular crash.

It was earlier reported that a 72-year-old man who was riding a motorcycle died after allegedly got caught on a hanging cable, which also caused injuries to his passenger.

Earlier, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said at least one person reportedly died due to the effects of Typhoon Pepito in Camarines Norte.

• Marcos: One dead in Camarines Norte due to Pepito

Idio attributed the zero-casualty record to the preemptive and forced evacuations conducted by local government units.

“Ito po ay dahil sa maagap na ating preparasyon, ang pro-active preparations natin at ang pagsasagawa ng preemptive evacuations na naging susi ng ating tagumpay,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Idio said two people have been reported injured and two are missing, but these incidents were related to earlier typhoons Nika and Ofel.

A total of 295,576 families, or 1,145,942 individuals, were affected by typhoons Nika, Ofel, and Pepito, according to the latest data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

Of this, 104,830 families (or 446,177 individuals) were served in 2,717 evacuation centers, while 66,681 families (or 238,894 individuals) sought shelter elsewhere. 

“Sa ngayon, ang main concern po ng ating government, starting from the national, regional, at local levels ay to provide the life-saving immediate relief needs of our affection population due to the consecutive tropical cyclones,” Idio said.

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