TD CRISING: 100 passengers, 34 RoRos stranded; DSWD logs 2,462 residents affected

By Connie Calipay

LEGAZPI CITY --- Nearly 100 passengers are stranded in three ports in the Bicol region due to Tropical Storm Crising, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Friday.

In a phone interview, PCG 5 (Bicol) Commander, Commodore Ivan Roldan, said 64 passengers and 21 roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) ships are stranded at the Tabaco Port in Albay province, 27 passengers and 13 RoRos in Virac Port and seven passengers in San Andres Port, both in Catanduanes province.

Four vessels are also stranded in Tabaco Port and three in Virac Port, where one boat is also seeking shelter.

“All vessel trips, regardless of type and tonnage, are suspended in the provinces of Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, and Camarines Sur, which are under Tropical Wind Cyclone Signal No. 1. Additionally, in Albay, all vessels heading to Catanduanes are also suspended. We are monitoring the situation and coordinating with other concerned agencies to ensure the safety of all passengers,” Roldan said.

In Sorsogon province, the PCG advised vessels with a gross tonnage of less than three against traveling in and out of the waters.

“For Masbate, mariners operating medium-sized boats and other similarly sized vessels are strongly advised to take precautionary measures when venturing out to sea and, if possible, to avoid navigation under these weather conditions,” he said.

Roldan said the PCG is under red alert, with more than 400 personnel and land and water assets on standby.

The weather bureau said Crising has intensified into a tropical storm, packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center, and gustiness of up to 80 kph.

As of 4 a.m., the cyclone was located 335 km. east of Echague, Isabela or 325 km. east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, moving northwestward at 20 kph.

Meanwhile, in Legazpi City - The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Bicol (DSWD-5) has recorded a total of 495 families or 2,462 persons affected by Tropical Storm Crising.

In a phone interview, Claudio Villareal, chief of DSWD-5’s Disaster Response Management Division, said the affected individuals are from 21 barangays in Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, and Masbate.

Villareal added that there are 11 families or 42 persons displaced in these provinces.

“Nine families or 33 persons are currently taking temporary shelter in two evacuation centers in Masbate province while two families or nine persons are temporarily staying with their relatives or friends,” he said.

Villareal said DSWD’s preparedness measures include the prepositioning of food and non-food relief items in strategic locations, activation of logistics plans, and rapid deployment capabilities.

“Two mobile kitchens, a Mobile Command Center, and water filtration units are now on standby and ready to be deployed immediately to affected areas as needed—ensuring fast and efficient on-ground support for displaced and vulnerable communities,” he added.

Meanwhile, Villareal said at least 34 local governments unit in the region suspended classes.

“Through our Regional Director Norman Laurio, we continue to strengthen coordination with local government units (LGUs) across various areas to mitigate the impact of the typhoon through early, organized, and coordinated action,” he said.

DSWD-5 has a standby 254,192 family food packs in various warehouses in the region as part of the preparations for Crising.

“The total worth of all available relief resources has reached PHP273 million including food items ready for distribution,” Laurio said. (PNA)