BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Due to the stormy weather, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) suspended sea travel. Some 250 Cebu-bound passengers got stranded in the seaports of northern Negros Occidental.
The northern part of Cebu was placed under Storm Signal No. 1 on Sunday night due to Tropical Depression “Agaton”. At 8 p.m., PCG-Northern Negros Occidental suspended sea travel between Tabuelan town in Cebu and the ports of Escalante City and Sagay City in Negros Occidental, as well as Toledo, Cebu and San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.
Trips remained suspended as of press time yesterday.
According to the PCG, 160 passengers were stranded at the Escalante City port, 33 at the Sagay City port and 57 at the San Carlos City port.
PCG-Northern Negros Occidental station chief Commander Joe Luviz Mercurio, however, clarified that boat trips from the BREDCO and Banago ports in Bacolod City to Iloilo City and Dumangas, Iloilo remained unaffected and ferry operations continued throughout the day.
Passengers bound for Panay Island continued to arrive at the BREDCO Port yesterday afternoon.
Security checks remained stringent and so was health monitoring. Passengers were being asked to show their coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination cards prior to boarding.
Fastcraft and roll-on /roll-off ferry operators also announced limited trips by Good Friday, April 15.
Meanwhile, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) last night, Tropical Depression “Agaton” will continue to bring rains over parts of the country as it moved slowly northward over Basey, Samar.
In its 8 p.m. bulletin, the weather bureau said the center of “Agaton” was spotted in the vicinity of Basey, Samar with maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 60 kph.
Moderate to heavy, with at times intense rainfall will be experienced over Sorsogon, Masbate, Romblon, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, the northern and central portions of Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands, Aklan, Capiz, Iloilo, Antique, Guimaras, and the northern and central portions of Negros Provinces.
Light to moderate with at times heavy rains over Dinagat Islands, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Quezon, and the rest of Bicol Region and Visayas.
“Take precautions because more rains are expected, and these may cause flooding and landslides,” Pagasa weather specialist Ana Clauren said.
Mariners of small vessels were advised to remain in port or take shelter, while those operating larger ones were advised to take precautionary measures when venturing out to sea and, if possible, avoid navigating in these conditions./PN
