Source: DOST / Pagasa
(Updated, 4:15 p.m.) The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) have prohibited sea voyages for all types of vessels and suspended the operations at several ports in the country to ensure zero maritime accident and casualty when typhoon “Ompong” hits the country.
The PCG and Marina have suspended port operations on Thursday to prevent any untoward incident as the country experiences the weather disturbance.
Suspended operations include:
– Port of Cebu
– Port of Bohol
– Zamboanga City Port (temporary voyage suspension)
– Port of Banica, Roxas City, Capiz (cancellation of vessel trips)
– Lucap port, Alaminos, Pangasinan (cancellation of motorboat operations)
– Aparri Port, Cagayan (cancellation of motorbanca operations)
– Dapa, Siargao Island, Surigao Del Norte (suspension of vessel operations)
– Palompon Port, Palompon, Leyte (cancellation of shipping operations)
The PCG has assured that the joint enforcement team from its agency and Marina had been deployed onshore and at sea to “ensure maritime safety and security.”
“Ompong” entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility Wednesday afternoon packing maximum sustained winds of 205 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 255 kph.
The typhoon is moving westward at 30 kph, according to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s Severe Weather Bulletin No. 4 issued on Thursday.
“Ompong” continues to threaten northern Luzon and is expected to make landfall on the northern tip of Cagayan on Saturday morning.
Fisherfolks and those with small seacrafts are advised not to venture out into the waters in areas epxeriencing tropical cyclone warning signal No. 1, the northern seaboard of northern Luzon and the eastern seaboards of Visayas and of Mindanao.
READ: More areas under Signal No. 1 due to ‘Ompong’
“To ensure zero maritime accident and casualty as Typhoon Ompong (international name “Mangkhut”) further intensifies inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), the Ports of Cebu and Bohol will be disallowing any ship or boat to leave the port area effective at 12 noon today, 13 September 2018,” the PCG said in a safety advisory issued on Thursday.
In an advisory, Marina also imposed a temporary voyage suspension “for all types of vessels at the Zamboanga City Port plying the Zamboanga-Jolo route effective at 8:00 a.m. today, 13 September 2018, due to the worsening weather and sea condition in Zamboanga and Basilan areas.”
Vessels are allowed to take shelter at the port area through a written request but no passengers will be allowed to board. /jpv
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