The typhoon brought heavy rains to Central Luzon and nearby provinces, including Metro Manila, the national capital.

Days after the typhoon had passed the Philippines, rescue operations in the Cagayan Valley were still ongoing due to the unexpected extent of the flooding.

As of December 2, the Philippines' National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council had stated that the typhoon had 112 casualties (including 102 validated deaths, and another 10 missing), and the damages caused by Vamco reached ₱20.2 billion (US$418 million).

[1] On November 8, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) began tracking a new tropical depression 132 nautical miles (245 km; 150 mi) north-northwest of Palau.

As the system tracked closer to southern Luzon, both the PAGASA and the JMA upgraded Vamco into a severe tropical storm.

As Vamco initially formed inside of the Philippine Area of Responsibility, the PAGASA immediately began issuing severe weather bulletins in preparation for the typhoon.

[20] The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC), also began sending out emergency alerts to mobile phone users about possible storm surges.

[31] On the morning of that same day, all flights in five airports, including Da Nang, Chu Lai, Phu Bai, Dong Hoi and Vinh were ordered to be suspended or delayed.

[42] Several areas in Luzon, including Metro Manila, reported that they experienced power outages prior to the typhoon making landfall.

[45] Emergency hotlines in some locations became unavailable because most emergency numbers provided by national agencies and local governments were landline phone numbers, which were difficult to call from mobile phones, and became totally inaccessible once telephone lines in the localities were brought down by the storm.

[48][49] Social media filled in some of the information gap, with some residents and even local governments treating it as a de facto emergency hotline.

[52] After attending an online ASEAN summit that morning, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte addressed the nation via a pre-taped broadcast on state-owned television network People's Television Network (PTV), saying that he wanted to visit the storm-hit constituencies, but that he was constrained by his security personnel and doctor from doing so because of the risk to his safety and health.

[53][54] Actor Jericho Rosales and digital creative Kim Jones resorted to using their surfboards to rescue stranded citizens in Marikina.

[59] The Marikina River surpassed the water levels reached by Typhoon Ketsana in 2009, which brought massive rainfall and caused severe flooding.

[60] Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro declared the city under a state of calamity due the massive floods brought by the typhoon.

The National Irrigation Administration was criticized for releasing water from the Magat Dam, which allegedly made the situation worse.

[76] Strong winds downed many trees and damaged numerous homes in the four provinces from Hà Tĩnh to Thừa Thiên Huế.

[76] In Thuận An, Thừa Thiên Huế, strong waves lashed docked fishing ships and civilian houses.

[77] In the city of Da Nang, the storm surge destroyed many sea embankments, while washing rocks and debris onshore and into the streets.

Soriano regretted the trip, and stated that he underestimated the effects of the typhoon as no storm signals have were raised when he left for Batangas.

[88] Citizens on social media demanded accountability from the government, along with President Rodrigo Duterte, who had not made any appearance to the public during the typhoon's onslaught.

"[90][91][92] Roque denied shortcomings in preparation, however admitted that authorities "did not expect the gravity of the amount of water that descended on the lowlands."

[88] In a televised briefing for the typhoon, Duterte made sex jokes on-air with other government executives, to the dismay of the public.

Gabriela Women's Party representative Arlene Brosas criticized Duterte's audacity to make "inappropriate jokes when people literally drowned and died due to the series of calamities," and that the citizens needed an "effective leadership and a concrete plan."

Quezon City officials also declared the suspension of online classes from kinder to senior high school on the same days.