The Philippines is bracing for the possible effect of the tsunami which is expected to hit the country between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday.

In a phone patch statement from Singapore on Friday, President Aquino asked the affected residents to heed the warning issued by the government agencies and authorities. Aquino is expected to return to the Philippines around 11 p.m.

The presidential office on Friday ordered the mandatory evacuation of the residents living 10 to 40 meters from the shoreline of 15 provinces.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology ( PHIVOLCS) issued the warning alert at 3:30 p.m. for 19 provinces.

The tsunami warning was issued following the 8.9-magnitude earthquake that jolted northeastern Japan Friday afternoon.

To date, local officials have started evacuating residents of coastal towns in the northern part of Quezon province in the northeast part of the country.

The Department of Social Welfare has alerted its regional directors to aid the efforts of mobilizing stockpiles of supplies and their personnel for possible relief efforts.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is now closely monitoring the situation regarding the safety and welfare of the Filipinos in affected areas in Japan. The DFA has established a hotline for Japan-related concerns at (632) 834-4646.

The Philippine Coast Guard issued Friday afternoon a Notice for Mariners warning ships and small sea craft of the tsunami alert. It advised coastal areas fronting the Pacific Ocean to take maximum precautionary measures or to take shelter as necessary, and to continue to monitor for further information on the alert level.