A passenger and cargo vessel bound for Cebu had to cancel its trip last night after one of its generators broke down and needed to be replaced.
Chief Petty Officer Albino Rodriguez of Coast Guard Station – Iloilo said that MV Trans-Asia 8 was supposed to depart at 6 p.m. Saturday from the port of Iloilo and was expected to arrive in Cebu at around 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. today.
Rodriguez explained that with one generator down, the vessel could still have proceeded with its scheduled trip but the Trans-Asia management decided to cancel the trip as the basic accommodations for the passengers like airconditioning would not work.
According to Rodriguez, 171 passengers were affected by the cancellation but their tickets were immediately refunded by the management and that perishable goods like fish were likewise disembarked after its owners decide to transfer them to other modes of transport as delayed delivery could affect its quality.
Based on reports, some passengers chose to spend the night at the passenger terminal to wait for the next Cebu-bound vessel, MV Filipinas Jagna of Cokaliong Shipping, scheduled to depart at 7 p.m. today
Rodriguez said that others chose to take a fast craft to Bacolod City instead, take a land trip via passenger buses bound for Cebu.
MV Trans-Asia 8 is currently docked at the Port of Iloilo as it waits for the replacement parts of its generator, said Rodriguez.