Coast Guard do’s and don’ts will save you during storms

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) urged the public on Thursday to look up the PCG’s regulations on ships and boats trips during typhoons or tropical storms

PCG commandant Admiral Ramon Liwag advised the public to be familiar with the PCG’s regulations for trips scheduled to push off during typhoons to avoid getting stranded in ports.

In a statement, Liwag explained that PCG guidelines stated that shipping vessels weighing 1,000 gross tons or less, were not allowed to set sail when Signal No. 1 was raised at the port where it was docked or its destination.

Liwag stated that ships will be allowed to leave the port but only to dock in an area where it will be safe from the storm. He stressed that no passenger will be allowed onboard the ships enroute to where it will take shelter.

The PCG guidelines showed that no shipping vessel will be allowed to sail when Signal No. 2 has been raised. Same with its guidelines for Signal No. 1, vessels will be allowed to leave the port where it is docked to seek shelter, but no passengers will allowed onboard.

The PCG also reminded residents in low lying areas where Signal No. 1 was raised, of the possibility of flashfloods and landslides, thus the wisdom of immediate evacuation procedures.

The PCG Hotlines are: (02) 527-3877 and (02) 527-8481. The public may also reach them through text messages sent to 0917-PCGDOTC or 0917-7243682.

Typhoon ‘Chedeng’ left roughly 7,000 passengers of ships and boats stranded in ports in Bicol, Southern Luzon, as well as Central and Eastern Visayas, as of Wednesday night, the PCG said.