21.   Kidnapping for ransom is frequent in the southern Philippines and in the Manila area.

22.   Manila area police chief Reynaldo Wycoco said policemen have been ordered to clean their weapons before the new year.

23.   Many houses and buildings in the Manila area are built of corrogated iron and other flimsy materials and are likely to collapse in the event of a serious quake.

24.   Mayors in towns and provinces around Manila area have agreed to fly flags at half-mast as a sign of support for Mrs. Contemplacion.

25.   Officials evacuated hundreds of people Thursday from several villages in the Manila area and nearby Pampanga province swamped by driving rain and floods.

26.   Overwhelmed by the onslaught, American commanders in the Manila area decided to retreat to Bataan, believing that U.S. reinforcements would soon land on its shores.

27.   Robbers killed a police officer and a security guard Tuesday during the second bank robbery in the Manila area in two days.

28.   Ransom kidnappings are frequent on the southern island of Mindanao and in the Manila area.

29.   The Department of Education suspended all schools in the Manila area as rain flooded streets.

30.   The earthquake was felt in many cities in the Manila area and in neighboring Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Batangas, Cavite and Pangasinan provinces.