TACLOBAN CITY — At least 2,100 passengers were stranded in the different ports of Eastern Visayas after the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) suspended all sea travel in the region on Friday amid the threat of Tropical Storm Auring.
Most of those stranded were in the three ports of Allen town in Northern Samar.
Based on the report of the PCG, 1,711 passengers were stranded in the ports of Santa Clara, Dapdap, and Balwharteco.
The remaining passengers were stranded in the ports of Ormoc in Leyte, and San Ricardo and Liloan in Southern Leyte.
The passengers stranded in Allen ports were bound for Luzon while those in Ormoc City were mostly going to Cebu. Those stranded at the two ports in Southern Leyte were bound for Mindanao.
The PCG said it will not lift the “no sail” policy until there are no more storm signals in the Visayas.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), Auring is expected to make landfall in the Dinagat Islands-Eastern Samar-Leyte area between Sunday night and early Monday morning, February 22.
At least 425 families, consisting of 1,633 individuals, in Leyte and Southern Leyte were preemptively evacuated due to possible landslides or flooding in their area.
About 1,500 policemen were deployed for disaster relief efforts.
Food packs and other goods have been prepared by the local governments for those who would be affected by Auring.
In Tacloban City, tarpaulins hanging in various business establishments have been rolled down while tents put up by the city government for various checkpoints have been removed in anticipation of Auring’s strong winds.
Biliran Gov. Roger Espina said office works may be suspended on Monday when Auring is expected to hit Eastern Visayas.