Heavy rain brought by Typhoon “Fabian” (international name: “Nepartak”) and the southwest monsoon inundated low-lying barangay (villages) in at least three towns here, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) said on Saturday.

Vincent Gahol, PDRRMO head, said villages in the towns of Naujan and Baco as well as this city were flooded to as high as a onestorey building.

In Sitio 5, Barangay Aurora, Naujan, residents were evacuated to higher ground as floodwater reached the roofs of their houses.

As of 2 p.m. on Saturday, the Baco Information Office reported that six villages were under water and that at least 255 families were evacuated.

In a telephone interview with The Manila Times, Calapan City Mayor Arnan Panaligan said localized evacuation was done in the villages of Canubing, Panggalaan and Bucayao.

“May mga pamilya sa Canubing, Bucayao at Panggalaan na inilikas ng ating city disaster response. Wala pa lamang tayong eksaktong figures. Ito ay mga localized evacuation, meaning sa mga school o sa mas matataas na istraktura sa barangay (There were families from Canubing, Bucayao and Panggalaan that were evacuated by the city disaster response. We still don’t have exact figures. These were localized evacuations, meaning to schools or to raised structures in the village),” Panaligan said.

Meanwhile, Gov. Humerlito Dolor issued an executive order, suspending all work in both private and public offices in the entire province. Offices of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, Social Welfare, Engineering and Health Offices as well as public hospitals will remain open however.

Private institutions involved in telecommunications, power and other vital institutions, including private hospitals, should also have a skeletal workforce to maintain their services, the governor said.