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Coast Guard suspends sea travel in Bicol, Northern Samar due to Paeng


ALBAY, Philippines, October 28 ------ The Coast Guard in Bicol and Northern Samar suspended sea travel, as part of disaster preparedness for Tropical Storm Paeng.


Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Bicol spokesperson Gremil Alexis Naz told reporters that the Coast Guard district office in the region suspended all sea travel, except in Camarines Norte. In Eastern Visayas, the Coast Guard halted all sea travel from Allen port in Northern Samar to Bicol and to Eastern Samar.


The Land Transportation Office (LTO) teams in Bicol fanned out to highways in Albay, Camarines Sur, and Sorsogon to remind drivers of bus and trucks that the agency has suspended land travel from Bicol to Masbate and Catanduanes islands and the Visayas and Mindanao. The LTO, which announced the suspension recently, said Memorandum Circular No. 2022-008 covered all vehicles headed for the ports of Matnog and Pilar in Sorsogon, the ports of Pioduran and Tabacco in Albay, “and all other ports in the Bicol Region.” The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Paeng may first pass close to Catanduanes on October 29, but is expected to make landfall in other parts of Luzon.


Naz explained the LTO suspension was for vehicles coming from Manila and other parts of Luzon going to Matnog port and other major ports in Bicol, so that these would not clog the Maharlika Highway and ports once sea travel stops. Eastern Visayas OCD Assistant Director Rey Gozon said in an interview, that the whole province of Northern Samar and the city of Borongan in Eastern Samar had suspended classes in all levels. He said the region and the provinces had held pre-disaster risk assessment to help each other disseminate information. “So that here in Tacloban and other areas, people don’t waste time going to Allen, because we don’t want passengers to clog the terminals,” Gozon told reporters.


He urged residents of Eastern Visayas to go to safe areas and try to practice preemptive evacuation, especially in coastal towns and cities, or those living in flood and landslide prone areas. “We operate 24/7, so anytime you call the office to seek assistance of local government units, we are very much willing to assist you,” he added. Intermittent moderate to heavy rainfall was felt across the Bicol Region, including Albay recently. Rapu-Rapu Island town in Albay was placed under a tropical cyclone storm signal number by the state weather bureau. The island town of Rapu-Rapu is located within the eastern portion of Albay province.


“The Albay PDRRMO (Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management) hereby suspends classes of all levels in private and public schools until October 30,” Governor Noel Rosal said in an advisory. The Albay provincial government also beefed up its preparedness for the amihan trade winds and potential threats from Mayon Volcano. Rosal warned that heavy rainfall could bring down pyroclastic materials deposited on Mayon’s gullies to residential areas. “Expect the worst. We’ve been through this before. It’s a complex disaster scenario as when there is a bad weather disturbance and Mayon Volcano is restive, this might be a double whammy again. So we need to be ready,” Rosal said during the PDRRM special full council meeting.


The LTO office in Ragay conducted a random roadside inspection and assistance along the Del Gallego border in Camarines Sur as a precautionary measure. LTO Pamplona, Camarines Sur, teams visited and monitored Pasacao Port Terminal for information dissemination before proceeding to the Maharlika Highway to provide assistance and remind the drivers of the suspension.


Source: rappler.com

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