- 26 vessels grounded in Cebu port
Tropical storm Seniang track. (PAGASA)
Thousands of holiday travelers were stranded in Cebu yesterday as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) suspended sea travel to areas in the Visayas and Mindanao placed under public storm warning signal no. 1.
Tropical depression Seniang is projected to landfall this morning in Tandag, Surigao del Sur.
It is forecast to bring moderate to heavy rain this week.
By Tuesday morning, the storm will be in the vicinity of Cebu’s southern tip.
As of 3 p.m yesterday, the PCG recorded 3, 711 stranded passengers in Central Visayas’ ports.
At least 26 vessels and seven motorbancas were prevented from sailing, said Rear Admiral William Melad, chief of PCG for Central Visayas district.
As of 5 p.m. yesterday, Cebu and Camotes Island were placed under signal no. 1 along with 20 other provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao in the bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
Affected ports are Cebu, Ormoc, Calbayog, Tagbilaran, Dumaguete, Ubay, Tubigon, Bantayan, Liloan (Santander), Taloot (Argao), Canlusong (San Francisco, Camotes), Estancia, Sibulan, Danao, and Lapu Lapu City.
The Coast Guard automatically suspends sea voyages in areas with storm signal no. 1.
“We understand the need for people to go home to their provinces but we have to wait until the storm signal is lifted before allowing sea travel to resume,” said PCG Cebu Station chief Commander Rodolfo Villajuan said.
Pagasa said Seniang could cause waves of up to four meters in the Eastern Visayas seas and the seas off northeastern and northern Mindanao.
At the Capitol, towns and cities were alerted to activate their disaster offices and rescue teams.
“We are in constant communication with the LGUs to coordinate,” said Baltazar Tribunalo, head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office.
He said large saves were visible in the coastal waters of midwestern Cebu when he visited yesterday afternoon.
He asked localities to also monitor diggings in their areas.
“Any form of risk or hazard endangering people is part of the responsibility of the LGU,” he told Cebu Daily News.
Forecast track
Pagasa warned of possible floods and landslides in the final days of the year as Seniang will cross northeastern Mindanao and the Visayas this week, bringing moderate to heavy rains and gusts.
On Sunday, as it neared Mindanao, the cyclone’s winds slightly intensified to 55 kilometers per hour and was moving 13 kph in a west northwest direction, according to Pagasa.
Seniang could bring moderate to heavy rains of 7mm to 15 mm within its 300-kilometer radius.
Pagasa yesterday tracked Seniang 150 kilometers east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur.
In a news conference, Pagasa weather division chief Esperanza Cayanan said flood advisories were issued to affected provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao.
“So we should be alert and be on our guard especially those living in mountainous areas,” Cayanan said.
She said the affected areas have been having rains the past days “so there’s a big chance of landslides.”
Storm signal no. 1 was raised in Cebu and Camotes Islands, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Bohol, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental and Siquijor in the Visayas.
In Mindanao, the areas covered were Dinagat Province, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Siargao Island, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Compostela Valley, northern part of Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte, and Camiguin.