Filipinos in Japan told to take extra caution as ‘Neoguri’ rages

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday advised Filipinos in Japan to brace for typhoon “Neoguri” as it roars towards the country’s southern-prefecture of Okinawa.

“Our Embassy [officials] in Tokyo and Consulate General in Osaka have reported that typhoon Neoguri has just begun to be felt in Japan,” DFA spokesman Charles Jose said in a press conference Tuesday.

“They reiterate their advisory to Filipinos, especially those residing in areas that lie in the direct path of the typhoon, to make the necessary preparations and heed the reminders and advice of Japanese authority,” he said.

The Kyodo news agency of Japan reported that Neoguri was moving north at 25 kilometers per hour and was carrying wind speed of up to 252 kph.

Neoguri is expected to be the strongest typhoon to hit Japan prompting the Japanese government to order the evacuation of 480,000 residents in Okinawa.

“There are around 1,600 Filipinos in Okinawa and around 79,000 in Western Japan,” Jose said.

“Our posts are closely monitoring the situation and are on standby to respond to distress calls from our kababayans,” he said.

There is an estimated 288,000 Filipinos in Japan, DFA said.

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