Pumpboats ferry Pilar folk amid gale warning
AS soon as the gale warning was lifted yesterday morning, the residents of Pilar town in Camotes island immediately hired pumpboats that would bring them to Ormoc City in order to buy food supplies and other basic needs.
Though a bigger vessel starts its operation today, the immediate needs for food and supplies could not wait a day longer.
The Philippine Coast Guard-Cebu Station still barred smaller vessels and seacraft plying the Cebu-Ormoc City route because the gale warning remains in effect over Eastern Visayas and Western Visayas areas.
Only the gale warning for Central Visayas was lifted at 5 a.m. on Saturday, Pagasa Mactan weather specialist Romeo Aguirre said.
Barangay Upper Poblacion Councilman Jason Roa said the people needed to buy basic supplies and complete other transactions in Ormoc yesterday.
Risk
Roa confirmed that many of his neighbors tapped some pumpboats either for a “pakyaw (wholesale) system” or a fare of P100 each for 20 passengers in one pumpboat. “We cannot do anything, sir, if we don’t take a risk,” Roa said.
Roa didn’t ride on a pumpboat for Ormoc, but his family and other neighbors just requested a trusted person to bring their ATM cards, withdraw a certain amount of money and then buy specific supplies.
In exchange for this, Roa said, they would tip P100 or any amount to the person who brought their ATM cards and bought supplies for them.
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