#WalangPasok: Masbate suspends classes as ‘Urduja’ nears

MASBATE CITY – As Tropical Storm “Urduja” blows nearer to Masbate province, Governor Antonio Kho announced on Thursday night a province-wide suspension of classes in all levels on Friday.

Both public and private schools were advised to suspend classes as preparation for the approaching storm.

Sailing of all kinds of sea craft and fishing boats were also suspended while 17 passengers were stranded at the province’s port, according to the Philippine Coast Guard in Masbate.

Jun Dalida, deputy administrator of Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) Central, said Urduja is expected to make landfall near Borongan, Samar which may raise the storm signal to 2 in Sorsogon and Masbate provinces.

135 stranded passengers in Tabaco port evacuated
Meanwhile, authorities transferred 135 stranded passengers to an evacuation center from the seaport in this city on Thursday afternoon in order to keep them safe from the effects of Urduja.

The City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council brought the strandees to be temporarily housed at Bongon Hall at Tabaco National
High School, Mayor Krisel Lagman-Luistro said.

“We transferred them to evacuation center because we would want them to be safe,” she said, explaining that the seaport is prone to strong winds and storm surge.

She said the stranded passengers will temporarily stay in the school until Urduja is still in Albay province. With a report from Michael B. Jaucian