The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) suspended several sea trips in Bicol (Region 5), Southern Tagalog, and Eastern Visayas (Region 8) on Friday, Oct. 28, due to Tropical Cyclone “Paeng."
In an advisory, the PCG said a total of 4,551 passengers, drivers, and cargo helpers were stranded in the affected regions as of 12 noon.
There were also 978 rolling cargoes, 29 vessels, and six motorbancas that got stranded in various ports.
PCG spokesperson Commodore Armando Balilo said coast guard personnel were deployed in the ports to check on the condition of the stranded passengers, and give them food and water.
“’Yung mga mahihirap na kababayan natin limitado lang halos ang baon, minsan pamasahe lang. Kapag tumagal sila doon nagkakaroon ng problema dahil walang pagkain. Hopefully by tomorrow, paakyat naman ang bagyo baka lumuwag na (Our poor travelers have limited budget, sometimes they only have their fare. If they stay longer in the ports, they will have to worry about their food. Hopefully by tomorrow, the congestion in will ease since the typhoon is moving north),” Balilo said.
As of 10 a.m., the sea trips in the following Port Management Offices (PMOs) have already been suspended: