THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has reported that a total of 5,723 passengers were stranded Saturday, December 24, due to the onslaught of Typhoon Nina (international name: Nock-Ten).
In its advisory, the PCG stated that travel was suspended for 144 roll-on roll-off (roro) vessels, 25 vessels and three motor bancas in ports in Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions due to Nina.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that as of 12 p.m. Saturday, the eye of the typhoon was located at 445 kilometers (km) east of Virac, Catanduanes.
Nina is packing maximum sustained winds of up to 150 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 185 kph.
The typhoon is forecast to make landfall over Catanduanes by Christmas Day, December 25.
Pagasa raised Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal Number 1 over southern Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate including Ticao and Burias Island, Northern Samar, Samar and Eastern Samar.
These areas will experience 30 to 60 kph winds in the next 36 hours.
In Northern Samar Region, the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC) said that the number of stranded travelers may rise as more people leave their hometowns to spend Christmas Day in Manila and other parts of Luzon.
“Our advice to the public is to postpone their travel plans outside Eastern Visayas on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to avoid being stranded in Northern Samar ports,” said Edgar Posadas, DRRMC chairman and Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) regional director.
Trips have been suspended specifically in Looc and Sta. Clara ports in Allen town and San Isidro town port. Stranded in Northern Samar ports as of Saturday morning were five sea vessels, 41 buses, 80 trucks, and 40 light cars.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development has prepositioned 2,000 food packs in Allen, Northern Samar for stranded passengers. Each pack consists of three kilograms of rice, coffee, and eight canned goods.
In Bicol Region, the OCD reported that nearly 2,500 passengers have been stranded in various sea ports in the region since Friday,
Bernardo Rafael Alejandro, OCD-Bicol head, the number of rolling cargoes stranded in the ports have reached 367, majority of them in Matnog port in Sorsogon, where there were 360 cars, trucks and buses stranded.
Alejandro said all DRRMCs in various local government units in the region are advised to be on heightened alert, particularly those in coastal barangays, for possible floods, landslides and storm surges. (Sunnex)