### Typhoon Man-yi Devastates Northern Philippines, Forcing Mass Evacuations

A potent typhoon ravaged homes, caused massive tidal waves, and compelled hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate to emergency shelters as it swept through the northern Philippines on Sunday. This marks the sixth major storm to hit the nation in under a month.

Typhoon Man-yi, which barreled into the eastern island province of Catanduanes on Saturday night, packed sustained winds of up to 195 kilometers (125 miles) per hour and gusts reaching 240 kph (149 mph). The national weather agency issued dire warnings of a "potentially catastrophic and life-threatening situation" for the provinces in its path.

Despite the severe impact, immediate reports of casualties were absent as the storm was projected to continue its northwestward course across northern Luzon, the country's most densely populated region, on Sunday. The capital area, metropolitan Manila, while not likely to be directly hit, was placed under storm alerts due to anticipated dangerous coastal surges.

"The rain was minimal, but the wind was very strong and had this eerie howling sound," recounted Roberto Monterola, a disaster-mitigation officer in Catanduanes. He described how tidal surges along a main boulevard rose over 7 meters (23 feet) near seaside houses, creating a daunting scene. The province was plunged into darkness as the storm downed trees and power lines, leaving disaster-response teams to assess additional damage on top of the destruction from previous storms. Monterola emphasized the urgent need for tin roofs and other building materials, in addition to food supplies, as many villagers were still recovering from earlier storms.

Authorities in Catanduanes resorted to stern measures, threatening to arrest vulnerable residents who did not comply with evacuation orders. Consequently, more than 750,000 people sought refuge in emergency shelters, including churches and a shopping mall, due to the compounded impact of Man-yi and two previous storms. Assistant Secretary Cesar Idio of the Office of Civil Defense reported that disruptions included the temporary closure of 26 domestic airports and two international airports, and the suspension of inter-island ferry and cargo services, which left thousands of passengers and commuters stranded.

In an emergency meeting, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged his Cabinet and provincial officials to prepare for "the worst-case scenario." The unusual frequency of storms within three weeks had already left over 160 people dead, affected 9 million residents, and wreaked extensive damage on communities, infrastructure, and farmlands. The devastation was so severe that the Philippines might have to rely on rice imports to meet its staple food requirements.

The international community, including the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei, contributed cargo aircraft and additional aid to support the Philippines' stretched disaster-response efforts. The relentless sequence of storms has illustrated the ongoing vulnerability of the archipelago, which faces around 20 typhoons and storms annually, alongside earthquakes and active volcanoes.