DILG orders mandatory evacuations as STS Nika nears

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla has ordered local government units in Regions 1, 2, and the Cordillera Administrative Region to conduct mandatory evacuations for residents in areas prone to flooding and landslides.

This directive comes as Severe Tropical Storm Nika is predicted to intensify into a typhoon before making landfall on Monday morning or early afternoon, potentially over Isabela or Aurora.

Approximately 2,500 barangays have been identified as vulnerable and are subject to the evacuation order.

Remulla emphasized the urgency of the situation, noting that LGUs have about 16 hours to implement the evacuations and urged the public to take the orders seriously for their own safety.