4,000 stranded in Cebu, Northern Samar

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CEBU CITY, Philippines—More than 4,000 passengers were stranded in various ports in Cebu and Northern Samar as ferry crossing and some airline flights were cancelled Saturday due to tropical storm “Gorio.”

In Northern Samar, 1,997 passengers bound for Metro Manila were stranded in the ports of Balwartico and Dapdap in the municipality of Allen as the Coast Guard prevented vessels from sailing.

The 1,723 passengers who could not leave Balwartico port were traveling on 37 buses, 76 trucks and 26 light vehicles. The 274 passengers at Dapdap port were on four buses, 40 trucks and four  light vehicles.

At least 2,491 passengers in Cebu were stranded in  different ports after the Cebu Coast Guard grounded at least 14 vessels, including one bound for Manila,  as of  noon Saturday.

Ensign Cecille Romero, Cebu Coast Guard deputy commander, said the stranded passengers were in Pier 1, Pier 3, & Pier 5 in Cebu City; Pulangbato wharf in Bogo City; Hagnaya Wharf in San Remegio; Sta Fe in Bantayan; Danao City and Camotes Islands.

Northern Cebu, including Bantayan and the Camotes Islands, were among the areas placed under Signal No. 1 because of “Gorio.”

The grounded vessels were bound for Manila, Surigao City, Leyte, Calbayog in Samar, Masbate, Hilongos in Southern Leyte,  Cataingan in Masbate, Bato and Ormoc City in Leyte.

The MV St. Pope John Paul II was supposed to leave Cebu City’s Pier 5 at 9 p.m. on Friday for Manila, but it was barred from leaving because Signal No. 1 had been hoisted in Manila. The vessel was to also pass by Masbate,  which was under Signal No. 2.

The 1,061 passengers of the Manila-bound ship stayed inside the vessel, said Romero.

But some passengers who were at the port terminals left after being told the vessels would not be allowed to sail, he added.

Romero said ships sailing to Bohol and other areas not affected by the storm continued to ply their routes but small passenger bancas at the Pasil fishport bound for Bohol were not allowed to sail because of big waves.

At least seven flights to and from the Mactan Cebu International Airport in Lapu-Lapu City were cancelled due to bad weather. They included PAL Express 2P 237 flight from Tacloban to Cebu at 6:40 a.m.; Cebu Pacific’s 5J 172 for Legazpi City at 8:30 a.m.; 5J 441 from Masbate at 8:25 a.m.; Zest Air Z2 765 from Manila at 10 a.m. and Z2 766 for Manila at 10:35 a.m.

Gemma Imbang, a terminal operations assistant, said PAL Express flights to and from Caticlan were also cancelled at 10:30 a.m. but because of aircraft situation and not due to the storm.

PAL Express flight 2P 971 from Manila to Tacloban City was diverted to Mactan  at 7:30 a.m. because of the bad weather in Tacloban. The plane returned to Manila at 10:49 a.m.

At least four flights were delayed because of the storm.

According to the weather bureau, Gorio made landfall in Hernani town, Eastern Samar at 8 a.m. Saturday.

“What we have experienced was just light rains. And we’re glad that the typhoon did not result in any destruction here in our town,” Hernani Mayor Edgar Boco said in a telephone interview.

Floods in Tacloban ranged from .04 meters to .045 meters deep, according to the Tacloban city disaster risk reduction management council.

The morning street parade of the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals on Saturday was canceled due to Gorio. The parade was part of the celebration of Tacloban’s fiesta on June 30.