"Ramon" weakens but continues to bring rains to Visayas

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu and the rest of Central Visayas are now out of the critical zone after tropical storm Ramon weakened into a tropical depression as it hit Eastern Visayas yesterday morning.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration already lifted the storm warning signal for Cebu and the other provinces in Central Visayas.

Engineer Oscar Tabada, chief meteorologist of PAGASA in Mactan, however warned that the region will continue to experience rainshowers in the next few days.

“Ato na’ng gilibkas ang public storm signal sa Cebu ug Bohol apan naa gihapon ang pag-uwan-uwan ug pagtaligsik,” Tabada said. He explained that although the storm had weakened, it will still bring moderate to heavy rainfall to areas within the 400-kilometer radius. According to him, “Ramon” is expected to exit the country tomorrow.

It is forecasted to be at 190 kilometers west of Calapan City this morning. Marinduque, Mindoro, Romblon, Southern Quezon, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Albay, Burias Island, Ticao Island, Masbate, Northern Palawan, and the Calamian Group of Islands, Panay Island, Guimaras Island and Northern Negros Occidental remain under storm signal number 1 as of yesterday afternoon’s weather bulletin.

The Office of the Civil Defense remains vigilant despite the lifting of the storm warning in Central Visayas.

 “It does not mean to say nga mag lax na ta, we still have an inter tropical convergence zone nga imbedded sa depression,” said OCD-7 operations head Neil Sanchez.

Sanchez said all risk reduction teams in the region are directed to remain on alert. He said that monitoring and operations remain 24/7 in the region.

He has also advised fishermen and even smaller vessels to avoid going out to the sea while the tropical depression is still in the country.

The Philippine Coast Guard Central Visayas however has already allowed all sea vessels to sail at 1:00 p.m. yesterday after the weather bureau lifted the warning signal.

The inclement weather condition has stranded 1,694 passengers in different ports in Western Visayas, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) – Region VI.

Commodore Athelo Ybañez, PCG– Western Visayas commander, said that the big bulk of the stranded passengers are bound for Manila from Iloilo City.

PCG – Iloilo station reported that there were 1,121 passengers stranded in the city port. Most of them are passengers of two vessels, Super Ferry and Negros Navigation, that were supposed to sail to Manila last Tuesday.

There were few passengers who were supposed to travel to Cebu but did not go home and opted to wait at the port terminal until PCG lifted the suspension of trips.

Ybañez said 230 passengers were stranded at the DREDCO Port while 115 Cebu City-bound passengers from Escalante were also stuck at the terminal. 228 others were reported stranded in Dumangas Port. – with Ryan Christopher J. Sorote, Jennifer P. Rendon and Isobelle Karen A. Clitar, PIT ABComm Intern/FPL (FREEMAN)