Travel suspension partially lifted

CEBU, Philippines — The Coast Guard District Central Visayas (CGDCV) announced yesterday the partial lifting of travel suspensions for vessels with a 250 and above gross tonnage (GT), following the improvement in weather conditions.

Vessels below 250 GT, however, should remain grounded until weather conditions improve within the jurisdictions of the following CGDCV stations: Western Bohol, Eastern Bohol, Camotes, Southern Cebu, and Central Cebu.

The Coast Guard Station Northern Cebu also continues to implement full suspension of all sea trips due to ongoing adverse weather conditions brought about by sever tropical storm (STS) Kristine.

It said that all vessel movements, regardless of tonnage, to and from northern Cebu and affected areas in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao remain fully suspended until further notice.

The CGDCV strongly advised coastal communities, fisherfolk, and the general public to remain cautious and avoid sea-related activities, especially for smaller vessels and watercrafts.

“The partial lifting of suspensions is based on the latest weather bulletins from PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration). And the situation will be closely monitored for any necessary updates,” it said in a Facebook post yesterday.

It promised that it is “committed to ensuring safety at sea and is on standby to respond to emergencies or maritime incidents and updates on travel suspensions and weather advisories will be released as the situation evolves.”

Also, the CGDCV, in partnership with the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA), distributed free meals of “arroz caldo” to stranded passengers waiting at Pier 1 in Cebu City yesterday.

This collaborative effort resulted to assistance being provided to 175 stranded passengers, including drivers of rolling cargos.

“The initiative aimed to ensure the passengers' comfort while they awaited the resumption of trips, which had been temporarily suspended due to adverse weather conditions.”

Weather bulletin

Based on the PAGASA weather bulletin at 2 p.m. yesterday, STS Kristine was already over the coastal waters of southern Ilocos Sur. It, however, left damages to several properties in Cebu province.

The Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRMMO) said 15 motorbancas and four houses were damaged while 15 banana trees and a coconut tree were also affected in Bantayan town in Bantayan Island.

A cargo vessel also ran aground in Sitio Noah, Barangay Calajoan, Minglanilla, Cebu yesterday.

Philippine Coast Guard Central Visayas’s (PCG)-7 Information Officer Abel Lomboy said LCT Golden Bella, with 13 crews, was “dragged towards the shore of Minglanilla due to rough seas and a rising tide”.

“Both (of its) anchors broke, leaving the vessel without holding power and vulnerable to the conditions,” Lomboy said.

As of press time, the cargo vessel was 100 meters from the shoreline of Calajoan and was moving closer due to the tide.

Lomboy said PCG-7 continues to monitor the vessel and is especially on the lookout for an oil spill.

“Underwater hull inspections are being planned to assess any possible hull breaches, while monitoring for any oil spill is ongoing, with contingencies in place,” he said.

Meanwhile, due to the inclement weather brought by STS Kristine, over a hundred families were evacuated from four towns and a city in Cebu province.

Forty-nine families were evacuated in Talisay City; 38 in Argao; two in Minglanilla; and 14 in Barangay Lombo, Malabuyoc.

Over 200 passengers also remained stranded at the Hagnaya, San Remigio Port and at the Tangil, Dumanjug wharf after sea trips were cancelled.

There were 38 local government units in Cebu that cancelled face-to-face classes yesterday, to ensure safety of the students and teachers.

Suspension of classes lifted

In Cebu City, anticipated a much-improved weather for today, Acting Mayor Dondon Hontiveros lifted late afternoon yesterday the suspension of classes that he ordered three days ago.

And from more than a hundred, the City’s Public Information Office reported that as of morning yesterday, there were only 25 remaining stranded passengers taking shelter at the Cebu City Sports Center.

Most of the passengers already left, as fast-craft travel to Bohol and Leyte already resumed yesterday morning.

In neighboring Mandaue City, its City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) also reported that strong winds from STS Kristine have caused trees to fall in at least two barangays.

MCDRRMO Head Buddy Alain Ybañez said that although no casualties have been recorded due to the strong winds, there were vehicles in barangays Umapad and Paknaan that were struck by falling trees.

He said one incident in Paknaan involved motorcycles being struck by falling trees at dawn yesterday.

“Natumbang kahoy naigo ang sakyanan (ug) motor pero pasalamat ta walay mga tao nga naangol nuon,” Ybañez said.

He said that a similar incident happened last Wednesday near a hospital in Umapad, when a falling tree struck several parked vehicles.

Ybañez expressed his gratitude to the barangay Emergency Rescue Teams (ERTs) for their assistance in clearing debris and supporting the team during emergencies since Wednesday.

“Kay in their own initiative nitabang gyud sila pag-clear sa mga natumbang kahoy nga naabot sa dan. Nitabang sila pag-clear sa area,” he said.

Also, Ybañez said that in addition to falling trees, they are also in the lookout for tarpaulins from billboards.

He said that while the tarpaulins of billboards are secured, the strong winds might loosen up the bindings and cause the tarpaulins to dangle dangerously over power lines or worse, get carried away by the wind.

He mentioned that the tarpaulins of billboards in barangay Umapad and Subangdako have been coiled and secured to prevent untoward incidents.

This was after a tarpaulin in Sitio Pentax, Umapad, nearly struck the electrical wires of the Visayan Electric Company (VECO).

Ybañez said that the MCDRRMO coordinated with VECO to promptly address the incident.

"Siguro gihuot nila og higot, pero sa kakusog sa hangin nangaluag maong ang uban magbitay nalang kuyaw mangapalid,” he said.

He emphasized the potential risks associated with such situations, noting that if the tarpaulin had come into contact with VECO’s electrical wires, it could have resulted in brownouts in the area.

Meanwhile, the 87 remaining propsmen and performers of “Garbo sa Lapu-Lapu” that performed during the recent Kasanggayahan Festival in Sorsogon are still in the municipality of Gubat, Sorsogon since the weather is still unfavorable there.

The local government unit of Gubat and the Provincial Government of Sorsogon, however, took good care of them and attended to their needs.

In return of Sorsogon’s kindness, Lapu-Lapu City has sent a six-man rescue team to join in the search and rescue operations in the Bicol region, which Kristine hit the hardest. -- Le Phyllis F. Antojado, Kristin De Dios, Caecent No-ot Magsumbol/RHM (CEBU NEWS)