As Bicol Region continues to experience heavy rains due to Typhoon Paeng, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is now eyeing the suspension of public vehicles' trips to and from the region.
In a statement, the LTFRB disclosed the possibility of suspending land travel for public vehicles as Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned on intensive rainfall caused by the typhoon until Saturday morning.
"Patuloy na mino-monitor ng LTFRB ang posibilidad na pagsuspinde ng pagbiyahe ng mga pampublikong sasakyan papunta at paalis ng Bicol Region kasunod ng banta ng Bagyong Paeng (The LTFRB continues to monitor the possibility of suspending trips for public vehicles to and from Bicol amid the risks brought by Typhoon Paeng)," the LTFRB noted.
"Sa pamamagitan ng Regional Franchising and Regulatory Office V (RFRO-V), patuloy ang pag-monitor ng operasyon ng mga pampublikong sasakyan sa rehiyon at nakaantabay sa posibleng pagsuspinde ng mga biyahe (Through the RFRO-V, we continue to monitor the operations of public vehicles in the region and remain on standby for possible suspension of trips)," it added.
The LTFRB advised the public to stay updated on the latest news about the typhoon.
As per earlier reports, some areas in Bicol Regions already experienced up to chest-deep floods because of the typhoon. In Camarines Sur, 17 barangays in Libmanan already experienced knee-deep floods, while Barangay San Agustin in Bula experienced waist-deep floods which even entered a number of houses, as of press time.
More than a hundred residents in Libmanan and Calabanga were evacuated from areas prone to landslide and flooding, as well, according to the Office of Civil Defense in Region V.