Thousands flee as typhoon Mawar nears

Philippine officials began evacuating thousands of villagers, shut down schools and offices and imposed a no-sail ban on Monday as Typhoon Mawar approached the country's Northern provinces a week after battering the U.S. territory of Guam.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development said some 800,000 food packs had been deployed across country.Metro Manila mayors are also studying possible longterm solutions to the flooding problem in the region.The typhoon is expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility on Friday, the state weather bureau added.