MANILA, Philippines ? Authorities have advised the public to brace for an incoming tropical storm (international name: Lupit) which is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility on Friday night.

Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres Jr., designated spokesman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) on the recent calamities brought by tropical storm ?Ondoy? (international name: Ketsana) and typhoon ?Pepeng? (international name: Parma), said in an interview that local disaster coordinating councils were given orders on Thursday to give appropriate advisories to their constituents.

On Thursday, the NDCC advised local governments and their respective disaster councils in Southern Luzon, Northern and Central Luzon and the Visayas to prepare for the incoming storm.

In its latest weather advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that ``Lupit?? was seen 1,300 kms east of the Bicol region packing maximum sustained winds of 75 kph with gusty winds of up to 90 kph.

The storm is forecast to move west northwestward towards the general direction of Central and Northern Luzon and Taiwan at 26 kph.

``Lupit?? is expected to intensify further before it enters the Philippine area of responsibility, Pagasa said.

?Learning from our experience from recent typhoons, we are not narrowing our issuance of warnings,? Torres said.

He added that local disaster councils were told to warn residents living in flood-prone and landslide-prone areas to seek safer places and the local governments to identify possible evacuation centers.

?These are preemptive measures. It may or may not happen. But the thing is, [it?s] better [to] be safe than sorry,? Torres said.

He admitted that the government?s resources are ?spread too thinly? due to the relief and rescue efforts conducted for victims of ``Ondoy?? and ``Pepeng?? which hit Luzon within a span of two weeks.

He added that the government has enough stocks of relief goods in case another calamity strikes but has only limited equipment such as transport and rescue vehicles and landslide detectors.