Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago has ordered all port managers in areas affected by typhoon “Betty” to prepare enough food items to passengers that may be stranded by the effects of the weather disturbance.
Santiago issued the order after the Philippine Coast Guard did not allow some vessels to sail due to the bad weather condition as a result of the effects of “Betty” since it entered the country’s area of responsibility over the weekend.
“We understand the inconveniences of the stranded passengers and this is our own little way of helping them,” said Santiago.
“As much as possible, we want to inform the passengers of the cancellation in the soonest possible time but there are factors that are not under our control that would result in last-minute cancellations,” he added.
Santiago also urged shipping line owners to do the same to their passengers.
A total of 74 stranded passengers at the North Port Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) were provided with rice porridge (lugaw).
Based on the PPA data, there were several passenger vessels that were not allowed to sail due to bad weather condition, among them are those headed to Cebu City from Leyte, and from Bohol to Leyte.
Several passenger veseels at the Dumaguete Port to Dapitan Port were not also allowed to sail, along with vessels heading to Palawan and Mindoro island.