Manila trips canceled as ‘Labuyo’ slams PH

Sea trips from Cebu to Manila were canceled by the Philippine Coast Guard Cebu station due to the arrival of tropical storm “Labuyo” (international name Utor) in the country last week.

But they said scheduled trips to the Visayas and Mindanao will continue pending advisory from the Mactan office of the state weather bureau Pagasa.

Moderate winds with light to moderate rainfall will prevail in Cebu today, Pagasa Mactan weather analyst Boy Artiaga said.

He said “Labuyo” is expected to intensify the southwest monsoon and cause bigger waves.

Since Cebu doesn’t have a storm signal, plane and sea trips won’t be interrupted, Artiaga said.

Storm signal no. 3 is raised over six provinces and Polilio Island. Described by Pagasa as considerably “behaved,” the steady 19-km per hour west-northwest movement of “Labuyo” is projected to come directly over Aurora Province early today.

Pagasa said they consider “Labuyo” to be the strongest typhoon to arrive in the country this year.

At 4 p.m. yesterday, the eye of typhoon “Labuyo” was located at 130 km north of Virac, Catanduanes or 220 km southeast of Casiguran, Aurora province.

It is packing maximum sustained winds of 165 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 200 kph. It is forecast to move west northwest at 19 kph.

Signal No. 2 is raised over the provinces of Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Rizal, Northern Quezon, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac and Pangasinan.

Signal No. 1 is raised over the provinces of Albay, Sorsogon, Laguna and the rest of Quezon, Ilocos Norte, Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, Metro Manila and Northern Samar.

At least 2,000 passengers and more than 200 vehicles and sea vessels are stranded in ports in Bicol as Typhoon “Labuyo” approached the region. Inquirer with a report from Correspondent Peter L. Romanillos