More than 2K passengers stranded in Cebu ports

Hundreds of passengers bound for Leyte and Bohol and the
neighboring islands of Cebu (top right and below) are stranded at the ports in Cebu City after the Philippine Coast Guard grounded all vessels due to tropical depression Marce (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA).

JANCEL Rama was excited to stay for good in Marikina City with her common-law partner Jose Christopher Germaine and their five children.

Rama and her family were about to leave Cebu for Manila at 8 a.m. yesterday via MV St. Leo the Great of 2Go Travel.

But their trip got canceled due to Tropical Depression Marce which raised storm signal number one in Cebu (including Bantayan and Camotes Islands).

“I actually wanted to travel now because we only have enough budget for this trip. It’s good for one day (budget),” Rama told Cebu Daily News.

They were among the 2,229 passengers stranded at the Cebu Port Terminal yesterday.

There were 45 rolling cargoes, 39 passenger vessels and 17 motorbancas that were barred from sailing.

When Cebu Daily News visited Rama’s family yesterday, her children were sleeping and lying at the seats along the departure area.

“We are still undecided whether we will go back to Barangay Quiot Pardo or wait here for updates,” she told CDN.

Another passenger named Dale Julben Basa Baslot had been in Cebu City for four days and was scheduled to leave for Bacolod City at 10 a.m. when he heard about the cancelation of trips.
“We are not in the port. But we’re happy that we are well taken care of by our church,” Baslot told reporters yesterday.