‘Seniang’ delays reunions with family

WAITING GAME. Passengers eager to get home before Dec. 31 mill around the passenger terminal in Pier 1 after the Coast Guard cancelled all sea travel to areas under storm signal no. 1. ‘Seniang’ could bring rains in the final days of the year as it crosses the Visayas and Mindanao. (CDN PHOTO/ LITO TECSON)

Enriquita Fernandez, 44, has not spent Christmas and New Year with her parents in Inopacan, Leyte province  for 12 years, so she was  excited about going home for the celebration this month.

She ended up sitting on her traveling bag outside Cebu City’s Passenger Terminal 1 yesterday, along with other stranded passengers whose trips were canceled by the Philippine Coast Guards (PCG)  because of tropical depression “Seniang”.

Fernandez  felt hopeless when her scheduled Cebu-Hilongos trip yesterday was canceled.

She had bought the ticket in the  morning when she arrived from Romblon. Her Cebu-Leyte trip on board the MV Beautiful Stars was supposed to depart last night.

“We were informed that it’s not yet sure if we can sail because of the bad weather. I understand that they are doing this for our safety,” Fernandez said.

She was traveling alone. She left  her children and her husband in Romblon because they couldn’t afford to pay the fare.

Aside from the prospect of  spending the holidays in her hometown after more than a decade of absence, she also wanted to take care of her sick father who could no longer walk.

“I miss my parents so much. I seldom get a chance to go home. Some of my siblings now live in Pasig City while my sister and parents are in Leyte,” she added.

Because  the storm  canceled her trip, she planned to sleep outside the passenger terminal.

“I don’t have enough money to stay in a hotel. It’s fine here, there are also a lot of passengers who will be staying here,” she told CDN.

She carried her two bags around as she looked for a meal at food stalls outside the terminal.

She could only pray that the weather will improve soon.

“I am still hopeful that I can go home  tomorrow. I hope  I don’t have to  stay long  in Cebu. I don’t know  this place,” she added.

Another stranded passenger was 26-year-old Fej Fegi who was scheduled to leave Cebu for Ormoc at 11 a.m. yesterday on a  2Go vessel.

Fegi arrived in Cebu at 8 a.m yesterday from Manila via Zest Air  because he was not able to book a Manila – Tacloban flight.

He was disappointed to learn  that sea travel was suspended in the afternoon.

He got his refund at the 2Go ticketing office and wanted to buy a ticket from other shipping lines but their trips were canceled as well.

He is still positive that he can go home before New Year’s Eve.

Fegi said he  planned to stay in a hotel near the terminal so he can immediately book a ticket when  the weather clears up.