MANILA, Philippines - Officials in Northern Luzon worked double-time yesterday in anticipation of Pepeng.

In Isabela, the National Food Authority (NFA) said rice stocks in Cagayan Valley would be ?more than enough to sustain basic staple needs even until March.?

NFA-Cagayan Valley regional manager Ruben Reside said warehouses would be opened to give rice bags to local governments for distribution to evacuees under the government?s preemptive evacuation plan.

Saturnino Tenedor, Magat Dam reservoir division chief, said water was being continuously released from the dam?s catch basin in Ramon, Isabela.

Tenedor said three floodgates started releasing 1,167 cubic meters per second at 9 a.m. yesterday. He said the water elevation registered at 190.59 meters, 2.41 meters below the critical level.