Over a thousand left stranded in Cebu ports on Christmas Day due to bad weather

Passengers wait at the Hagnaya Port Terminal for the resumption of sea travels in this Dec. 24 photo. | Photo from FB page of Vice Mayor Mariano R. Martinez

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Over a thousand individuals from Cebu were unable to spend Christmas with their loved ones due to bad weather.

As of midnight of Dec. 25, the Philippine Coast Guard in Central Visayas (PCG-7) recorded at least 1,070 passengers left stranded in various ports here after inclement weather prompted authorities and shipping lines to cancel some trips.

Most of the stranded passengers came from ports in northern Cebu, with at least 700 passengers bound for Bantayan Island stranded at the Port of Hagnaya in San Remigio town.

In the Port of Cordova, at least 220 passengers were left stranded while another 150 more at the Port of Tabuelan, also in northern Cebu, the same PCG-7 data showed. 

PCG-7 said a total of 86 sea trips, including that of motorbancas, were canceled due to bad weather. 

Since Friday, Dec. 23, PCG-7 has issued a gale warning, banning small sea vessels from sailing due to rough seas brought by the prevailing shear line.

On Christmas Day, Dec. 25, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration in Mactan (Pagasa-Mactan) said the gale warning in the entire Visayas seaboard remains in effect.

Pagasa-Mactan said they are expecting sea waves with heights ranging between 2.8 to 4.5 meters as the shear line continues to affect the entire Visayas region. 

The shear line in the Visayas is caused by the converging of the easterlies and the northeast monsoon (locally known as amihan), the state weather bureau added.  

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