CEBU, Philippines - A large part of the Visayas including Cebu Province was placed under storm signal number one brought by the tropical depression Urduja leaving more than 1,500 passengers stranded as the Philippine Coast Guard grounded 44 passenger and cargo vessels.
Lt. Mitchel Ursabia, public information officer of the Coast Guard Central Eastern Visayas District, said a total of 1,537 passengers were stranded in the different ports in the Visayas including Cebu since Monday evening.
Ursabia said they have disallowed all vessels from plying their usual routes because of the tropical depression Urduja. Based on Coast Guard records there were 44 passenger and cargo vessels and 16 motorized bancas in the Visayas that were grounded.
Among the routes affected by the tropical depression Urduja include the Cebu-Iloilo and vice versa, Cebu-Tagbilaran and vice versa, Cebu-Leyte and vice versa and also Cebu-Dumaguete and vice versa.
Flights from Cebu to Butuan, Tagbilaran and Dumaguete and vice versa were also cancelled.
Ursabia said the grounding of the vessels will continue until the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Space Administration lifts the storm warning.
Other provinces that were placed under storm signal number one are Romblon and Masbate in Luzon, Eastern Samar, Western Samar, Biliran, Leyte Provinces, Bohol, Negros Provinces, Aklan, Capiz, Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras, Camiguin, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Dinagat Island and Siargao Island.
But as of 5 p.m. yesterday only the Camotes Islands in Cebu Province was still under signal number one.
"Cebu will continue to experience rainshowers because of the said weather disturbance in the next few days," says Pagasa weather observer Al Alcazar.
Pagasa said that tropical depression Urduja has change course and is now moving eastward slowly. It has a maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center.
Urduja is expected at 80 kilometers northeast of Surigao City by Wednesday afternoon, 140 kms Northeast of Surigao City or 110 kms Southeast of Guiuan, Eastern Samar by Thursday afternoon and 150 kms East of Guiuan, Eastern Samar by Friday afternoon.
Pagasa chief Oscar Tabada also advised that those living in low-lying areas to take all the necessary precautionary measures for possible landslides and flashfloods.
Meanwhile, Cebu City Police Office director Patrocinio Comendador sent two platoons of his men to the mountain barangays of the city yesterday morning to be on call for any eventualities.
Comendador, also the vice chairman of the City Disaster Coordinating Council said that the two platoons from the Cebu City Mobile Group, were sent to the areas where landslides are most likely to occur.
The team is based in barangay Pung-ol Sibugay so they can easily respond to any eventualities in landslide-prone areas.
Neil Sanchez, chairman of the Office of Civil Defense of the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council said that they have not yet received any incident report regarding damage caused by Urduja as of 6 p.m. yesterday.
The RDCC, Sanchez said, is focused on monitoring the dams and waterways in Central Visayas.
They are also monitoring the mountain and coastal barangays.
Urduja is the 21st tropical cyclone to enter the country this year and the second weather disturbance this month.
Pagasa deputy administrator Nathaniel Cruz said Urduja yesterday veered east toward the Philippine Sea due to the influence of the two high pressure areas.
He said Urduja was sandwiched between two high pressure areas – one located over the Philippine Sea and the other over the South China Sea.
Cruz said Urduja is not expected to intensify further.
“It is likely to exit or dissipate over the Philippine Sea,” he said.
Cruz, meanwhile, warned residents in the Visayas and northern Mindanao against possible flashfloods and landslides as occasional to frequent rains are expected over these areas in the next two days.
“Residents in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes in areas under storm warning signal no. 1 are advised to take all the necessary precautionary measures against possible flashfloods and landslides,” he said.
Meanwhile, Cruz said a tropical storm with international name “Nida” might enter the Philippine area of responsibility on Nov. 29.
Cruz, however, said that based on their latest forecast, Nida was not expected to hit the Philippines due to the influence of another weather system called a “trough.”
Nida will be locally named “Vinta” once it enters the Philippine area of responsibility. – Fred P. Languido, Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon, Niña G. Sumacot with reports from Gabriel C. Bonjoc and Service/BRP (FREEMAN NEWS)