Thousands stranded as Caloy makes landfall

MANILA, Philippines - More than 4,500 passengers were stranded in 10 ports in the Visayas and Mindanao after Tropical Depression Caloy made landfall in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur yesterday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)said.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, there were 1,300 stranded passengers in Iloilo, 317 in Bacolod, 1,152 in Cebu, 140 in Tagbilaran, and 251 in Dumaguete, said PCG spokesman Commander Armand Balilo.

In Northern Mindanao, 147 people were waiting for their trips in Cagayan de Oro, 541 in Surigao, 440 in Ozamis and 62 in Butuan, and another 120 was reported in Ormoc, Leyte.

Balilo said also stranded were 573 rolling cargoes, 61 vessels and 21 motorized boats.

Caloy weakens

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said from a tropical depression, Caloy weakened to a low-pressure area (LPA) after it made landfall.

In its 5 p.m. weather bulletin, the weather bureau said all public storm warning signals have been removed.

Earlier, storm signal no. 1 was raised over Agusan del Norte, Bohol, Camiguin, Cebu, Dinagat Islands, Guimaras, Misamis Occidental and Oriental, Negros provinces, Northern Agusan del Sur, Northern Bukidnon, Siargao, Siquijor, Southern Leyte and Surigao del Norte and del Sur.

At 4 p.m. yesterday, the LPA was at the vicinity of Surigao City.

PAGASA said Eastern Visayas and Caraga would have cloudy skies with moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms.

Bicol Region, the rest of Visayas and of Mindanao will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and isolated thunderstorms.

Cagayan Valley and the province of Aurora will have cloudy skies with light rains.

Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated light rains or thunderstorms.

Fishing boats and other small seacrafts were advised not to venture into the seaboards of Northern Luzon and the eastern seaboards of Luzon and of Visayas due to the northeast monsoon.

The government said it would set aside P82.3 million to help families affected by Caloy.

The funds will be taken from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)to augment the resources of local government units.

The DSWD said some P58 million would be use to purchase food packs for the victims while P9.28 million would be used as standby fund.

b

Twenty-one passengers, including 11 foreigners, were rescued from a motorboat that sustained damage as it was sailing in the waters off Cauayan in Negros Occidental early yesterday morning.

The foreigners, including French, Swiss, Spanish, German, and Mexican nationals, were reportedly scuba divers headed for Oslob in Cebu from San Jose town in Antique.

The PCG said it received a distress call at around 5 p.m. Friday from M/B Ona, that said its outriggers sustained damage.

Balilo said the  PCG-Western Visayas reported all passengers were rescued.

He said the PCG-Western Visayas was informed that Ona was in distress some eight nautical miles off Sojoton Point in Cauayan.

Commodore Athelo Ybañez, PCG-Western Visayas chief, said they immediately dispatched rescue vessel MCS 3006, which returned to Iloilo City around 6:40 a.m. the next day with only 11 foreigners.

The three passengers who organized the diving expedition and seven crew members opted to remain onboard as the boat was anchored at Sta. Ana Bay in Nueva Valencia, Guimaras. – With Jaime Laude, Jennifer Rendon