At least 3,200 passengers, 251 rolling cargoes, and 17 vessels have been stranded across Bicol Ports due to tropical depression ‘Aghon.’
As of 12 noon on Saturday, May 25, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Bicol logged 1,387 passengers from 14 ports, who were not able to travel to their destinations in Visayas, Mindanao, Catanduanes or Masbate due to bad weather.
Hundreds more are stranded and are taking temporary shelter in schools, government offices and nearby inns and hotels.
In Catanduanes, hundreds of students and teachers of Alternative Learning System (ALS) from Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Masbate and Albay were not able to leave the island province when a storm signal no. 1 was raised.
The PCG has issued cancellations of all sea travel of vessels in and out of these provinces.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regional office in Bicol has prepared P197,510,778 cost of food and non-food relief items for those who will be affected by “Aghon.”
Director Norman Laurio said they have 145,787 family food packs (FFPs) and 37,432 non-food relief items ready for distribution anytime.
Based on its latest weather bulletin, Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the storm slightly weakened as it crossed Ticao Island and Masbate City in Bicol.
“AGHON is forecast to move generally west northwestward to northwestward over Sibuyan Sea and Tayabas Bay, and may possibly make landfall over Marinduque within the next 12 hours. During this period, further weakening into Low Pressure Area (LPA) is not ruled out,” PAGASA said.
“AGHON will then continue to move northward and may possibly make another landfall over Lucena City or Pagbilao, Quezon and emerge over Lamon Bay by tomorrow morning,” the state weather bureau added.
As of 2:00 PM on Saturday, Signal No. 1 has been raised over the following areas:
LUZON
Aurora, the eastern portion of Nueva Ecija (General Tinio, Gabaldon), the eastern portion of Bulacan (Norzagaray, Doña Remedios Trinidad, City of San Jose del Monte), Metro Manila, Quezon including Pollilo Islands, Romblon (Cajidiocan, Magdiwang, San Fernando, Romblon, Corcuera, Banton, San Agustin, San Andres, Calatrava, Concepcion), Marinduque, Laguna, Rizal, Oriental Mindoro (Pinamalayan, Pola, Naujan, Victoria, Socorro, City of Calapan), Batangas (Lobo, Taysan, Rosario, Padre Garcia, San Juan, Santo Tomas), Sorsogon, Albay, Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, and Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands.
VISAYAS
The northern portion of Northern Samar (Rosario, Biri, San Isidro, Capul, San Vicente, Victoria, Lavezares, San Antonio, San Jose, Allen, Bobon) and the northern portion of Samar (Tagapul-An).
Editor’s Note: This is a developing story. Refresh this page for later updates.