Passengers stranded, boat trips cancelled amid gale warning

Big waves caused by the monsoon and typhoon Hanna crash against the seawall of Pasil Cebu City on August 5. (CDN PHOTO/ TONEE DESPOJO)

Over 1,000 passengers were stranded in various Cebu ports after authorities suspended sea travel for small vessels during a  gale warning yesterday.

At least 22 small vessels  below 250 gross tonnage, mostly fastcraft bound for Bohol and Ormoc, were not allowed to sail, Cebu Coast Guard station commander Weniel Azcuna said.

Engr. Oscar Tabada, Pag-asa Visayas chief, said  monsoon rains and winds may intensify at dawn on Friday due to typhoon Hanna

He advised coastal residents in Talisay City to be extra careful and evacuate as a preventive measure.

All policemen in Central Visayas region were ordered to monitor danger areas  for possible floods and landslides in the next 24 hours.

In Lapu-Lapu City,  small boats were warned against crossing the Hilutungan channel.

The Cebu Coast Guard recorded 1,069 affected passengers yesterday morning.

By 5 p.m. the number of stranded passengers went down to 154 since most of them returned home after getting a refund for their tickets.

Gray Talip and his friend  Mark Anthony Tesoro had to cancel their planned vacation in Panglao, Bohol yesterday and went home.

“The situation is beyond our control. We can’t force the fastcraft  to sail because it’s also for our safety,” Tesoro said.

Vanessa Aro, however, stayed at the port, hoping to  catch a boat to Calape, Bohol with her one-year-old daughter. They had spent the week vacationng in Cebu and were eager to go home.

Affected routes included Cebu-Tubigon; Cebu-Tagbilaran; Hagnaya, San Remegio to Sta Fe Bantayan; Toledo City-San Carlos Negros Occidental; Cebu-Bato, Leyte; Cebu-Baybay Leyte; Cebu-Talibon; San Francisco, Camotes- Danao City; Pilar-Ormoc City; Tangil port in Dumanjug to Escalante-Negros Occidental.

The gale warning may be lifted by Saturday evening, after typhoon Hanna exits the Philippine area of responsibility.

A 5 p.m. Pagasa weather  advisory said the Visayas  would experience strong to gale force winds and rough to very rough seas as typhoon Hanna (international name Soudelor) enhanced the southwest monsoon or habagat.

Winds of up to 60 kilometers per hour and waves reaching 3.4 meters to 4.5 meters were expected, said Pag-asa Mactan chief Alfredo Quiblat Jr.

He also warned of a  possible storm surge of two meters.

“There will be light to moderate rains in Cebu. There will be lesser chance of thunder and lightning because of the habagat (southwest monsoon),” he added./Correspondents Michelle Joy L. Padayhag, Apple Mae Ta-as, Chito O. Aragon and Norman V. Mendoza