503 passengers stranded in Bicol ports

LEGAZPI CITY—A total of 503 passengers were stranded in major ports in Bicol late Tuesday afternoon after the weather bureau hoisted public storm signal No. 1 over the provinces of Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon due to Tropical Storm “Chedeng,” said a report of the Office of Civil Defense in Bicol.

In a 5 p.m. report on Tuesday, OCD-Bicol said there were 260 passengers stranded in Tabaco; 115 in Bulan; 45 in Pilar; 40 in Catanduanes; and 43 in Masbate.

A total of 22 trucks, 11 buses, 2 cars, and 13 sea vessels, were also stranded in the various ports, it added.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda on Tuesday also issued a “no sailing” directive to law enforcement agencies after Pagasa placed the province under signal No. 1

The directive strictly enforces no sailing to sea for small passenger sea crafts and fishing boats, especially of fisherfolk.

It also warned villagers living near rivers not to cross river channels, spillways and other waterways when rains start to pour as water level in rivers may swell.

Raffy Alejandro, head of OCD-Bicol and the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, said it would “muster” all possible assets (personnel and equipment) of the Armed Forces, Police, Coast Guard, and Bureau of Fire to critical areas prone to flooding and landslides.

Brig. Gen. Marlou Salazar, deputy commanding officer of the 9th Infantry Division, said the Army’s disaster response team is composed of 346 soldiers, 36 military trucks, two ambulances, a bulldozer, a backhoe, a grader and three rubber boats.

In Albay, 6 teams will be assigned and rapidly deployed on Wednesday in the flood-prone towns of Polangui, Libon, Oas, Pioduran, Pantao, Malinao and Albay west coast.

Chedeng has entered the Philippine area of responsibility and was located 540 kilometers east of Borongan, Eastern Samar with maximum winds of 105 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 135 kph, said Landrico Dalida of Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

Dalida said Chedeng is expected to hover over the Bicol region on Wednesday and Thursday, bringing moderate to heavy rains in the entire region.