the first reports of flooding were at the bicol region provinces of albay and sorsogon. in late december, albay governor joey salceda had placed his province under a state of emergency after the rains caused the deaths of two people and the displacement of 4,000. he has also issued a mandatory evacuation on residents in affected areas. fears of lahar flows from the recently active mayon volcano had been dismissed. in adjacent sorsogon, 170 families had already been evacuated.