Over 1,700 passengers were stranded in various ports due to rough sea condition and heavy rains as tropical storm “Dante” (international name “Choi-wan”) affected parts of the country, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Tuesday, May 1.
The PCG monitored a total of 1,761 passengers stranded in Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, Southern Tagalog, Northeastern Mindanao, and Bicol regions as of 12 noon.
The Coast Guard said those included were passengers, drivers, and cargo helpers.
Meanwhile, at least 37 vessels and 57 motorbancas were forced to take shelter as a precautionary measure against the possible threat of the tropical storm.
Sea trips of all types of vessels plying the routes to and from Surigao del Norte, Camotes Islands, Dinagat Islands, Sorsogon, and Northern Samar were ordered suspended starting Tuesday, June 1.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said tropical storm “Dante” continued to move near the southern part of Eastern Visayas on Tuesday afternoon, June 1, and will likely make landfall over Eastern Samar or Leyte by Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning, June 2.