Filipinos safe as Mangkhut batters Guam — DFA

No Filipinos have been reported to be affected by Typhoon Mangkhut which lashed Guam, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday.

“The Philippine Consulate General in Agana said that so far it has not received any report of any among the 43,000 Filipinos in Guam and the 20,000 in the Northern Marianas being adversely affected by the cyclone,” the DFA said in a statement

Philippine Consul General Marciano R. De Borja also said that the Philippine Consulate in Agana continues to coordinate with the leaders of Guam and Northern Marianas Island.

Conditions of readiness 1 have been raised in the said areas following the threat of Mangkhut.

The Civil Defense Department of Guam, meanwhile, advised the public to remain indoors as roads were still not completely cleared of debris from fallen trees.

It also expressed readiness to assist any affected Filipino nationals in their area.

Mangkhut is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility by Wednesday afternoon and it will be named as Ompong, the state weather bureau said.

Mangkhut has intensified as it moves the westward direction with a speed of 25 kilometers per hour (kph).

It has a maximum sustained winds of 170 kph near the center and gustiness up to 210 kph. It was last spotted at 1,845 km East of Southern Luzon as of 11 a.m. /je