MISSION BULLETIN No 8: UPDATE AT 6AM

01) The mission team wound down its activities last night with a farewell dinner in honour of its volunteers and hosts. Today, they will make preparations for their departure for Singapore tomorrow.

02) Sr Angie leaves this afternoon for Singapore. She will arrive at 11.55pm via the Budget Terminal.

03) Two Bicol provinces have been placed under Storm Signal Number 1 - Sorsogon and Masbate provinces which are both adjacent to Albay (where our Mission is located) at 10pm last night due to typhoon Sendong. Signal Number 1 means winds of 45-60kph are expected within 36 hours. Majority of Mindanao island have been placed on Signal Number 2, meaning winds of 61-100kph are expected within 36 hours.

As at 4am today, tropical storm “Sendong” (international code: Washi) has slowed down from 30kph to 24 kph, but maintained its winds of 65kph near the centre and gustiness up to 80kph while remaining on its west-northwesterly course.
Thus far, Cebu Pacific Air has not announced any cancellation of its domestic flights within the affected regions of East Visayas and Northern Mindanao. We are now expecting that flights to Manila from Legazpi over the weekend will not be affected, and international flights out of Manila to the south and southeast (including Singapore) are not likely to be affected by the typhoon.  

Sendong  is expected to make landfall over Surigao del Sur this evening.

While flights out of Legaspi to Manila on Saturday are not expected to be affected by Sendong, there are concerns that flights out of Manila bound for the the southern regions, including Singapore, may be affected. We will continue to monitor the situation and inform you of developments.

But rest assured that given Sendong's path, the mission team is safe in Bicol. Let's continue to pray for the group's safety and well-being.

-Mission HQ, Singapore