Passenger boats allowed to sail in Bicol as Egay heads to northern Luzon

LEGAZPI City, Philippines—The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Bicol lifted on Sunday its suspension of maritime operations and allowed passenger sea vessels to sail in various major ports across the Bicol peninsula after the storm warning signal 1 was lowered by the weather bureau.

Nelson Torre of the PCG said that they gave the green light to all types of passenger sea vessels to cruise to their ports of destination after the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) removed any storm warnings from the six provinces in Bicol.

PCG earlier suspended maritime operations in the region after storm signal 1 was hoisted over Bicol due to tropical depression Egay, stranding 603 passengers, 31 trucks, 4 cars, 10 buses, 13 sea vessels and 13 motor boats at the ports of Tabaco in Albay; Bulan and Pilar in Sorsogon; Masbate; Pasacao, Sabang and Sañgay in Camarines Sur; and Virac and San Andres in Catanduanes.

Affected by the suspensions were 250 passengers at the port of Pilar; 110 in Tabaco; 95 in Camarines Sur; 85 in Bulan; 57 in Masbate; and 6 in Legazpi.

Torre said passenger sea vessels bound for the island provinces of Masbate and Catanduanes and the Visayas were allowed to sail Sunday morning.

PAGASA said that as of 10 a.m. Sunday, Egay has been keeping its strength and direction as it threatened the Cagayan valley area.

Egay was spotted 170 kilometers east northeast of Casiguran, Aurora, or at 230 kilometers southeast of Aparri, Cagayan, packing maximum winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and moving northwest at 17 kph.

Egay was expected to be 130 km northwest of Aparri, Cagayan, or 120 km north of Laoag City on Monday.

Signal No. 1 (45-60kph winds) has been hoisted over Aurora, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Ifugao, Mt. Province, Isabela, Cagayan, Calayan, Babuyan Group of Islands, Batanes Group of Islands, Kalinga, Abra, Apayao and Ilocos Norte.