NEARLY 5,000 families in Cagayan Valley and Calabarzon regions were affected by the effects of Tropical Storm Pepito, the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) said on Wednesday, October 21, 2020.

No casualties were reported.

In a televised press briefing, OCD deputy administrator for operations Assistant Secretary Casiano Monilla said 4,790 families were affected in Calabarzon and 342 families were affected in Cagayan, Isabela and Quirino.

He said at least 184 families in Cagayan Valley were preemptively evacuated.

As of 11 a.m. Wednesday, state weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Pepito was was spotted at 210 kilometers west of Dagupan City, Pangasinan.

The storm has intensified, packing maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center and gustiness of up to 105 km/h. It was still moving west northwestward at 30 km/h.

The western portion of Pangasinan - which includes Bolinao, Anda, Bani, Agno, Alaminos City, Mabini, Burgos, Dasol, Sual, Labrador and Infanta - was under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal number 1.

The tropical cyclone warning over the other areas have been lifted. (SunStar Philippines)