MASBATE CITY – San Pascual town in Burias Island, Masbate province was placed under state of calamity Saturday as Tropical Storm “Urduja” picked up speed, bringing ample rains and strong winds over the Visayas and Southern Luzon. 2 over Masbate, including Ticao and Burias Islands ,as Urduja made landfall in Eastern Samar, affecting nearby provinces. Hernando Dorongon, officer-in-charge at the Masbate Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO), said that some residents of Mandaon and Cawayan towns had evacuated. ADVERTISEMENTMeanwhile, as of 5:30 p.m., there was no report of flash floods in all the barangays in the city, Alexis Mabini, Masbate City DRRM Officer II, said in a text message. They were participants of the recently concluded Provincial Meet 2017 held in Masbate City from Dec. 10 to 14.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 16, 2017 12:33 UTC