Manila, Philippines — Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has decided to keep its Blue Alert Status in effect even though Tropical Cyclone Luis has already weakened into a Low Pressure Area (LPA).
OCD Spokesperson Junie Castillo said that based on their initial assessment and reports gathered from various Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) offices, 17 barangays have been affected across Northern Luzon, the Bicol Region, and parts of Mindanao.
More than 7,700 residents have been affected by the severe weather, a figure that may still increase as authorities continue to collect and validate reports.
Castillo emphasized that although Luis has weakened into an LPA, the OCD is not lowering its alert level just yet. He said that the NDRRMC Operations Center, along with regional operations centers and response teams, remains on heightened monitoring for the continuing effects of the bad weather.
Meanwhile, around 1,200 families, or approximately 4,000 individuals, are still staying in evacuation centers due to the impacts of the adverse weather conditions and the southwest monsoon (Habagat).