MANILA — Panic-buying of food broke out in the central Philippines on Thursday and schools and government offices were shut, as provinces yet to recover from last year's devastating super-typhoon Haiyan braced for another category 5 storm. The government said it was considering declaring a state of national calamity to freeze prices of basic goods and President Benigno Aquino ordered the trade department to send more food supplies to provinces at risk from typhoon Hagupit. The move followed reports of stores shutting days ahead of the typhoon in order to raise prices of goods later. Typhoon Hagupit was churning across the Pacific around 720 km southeast of the island nation on Thursday, the local weather bureau said, packing winds of up to 205 kph (130 mph) near the center with gusts of up to 240 kph. – Reuters
