PCG-Cebu suspends trips due to rough seas, strong winds

By Fayette C. Ri�en

Wednesday 1st of August 2012

CEBU CITY, Aug 1 (PIA) -- All outbound trips of fast crafts from Cebu port have been suspended amid moderate to rough seas and strong winds due to the southwest monsoon as Typhoon Gener has still not exited the country, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Cebu said.

Petty Officer 1 Ferdinand Manto of the Cebu Coast Guard station said commercial vessels with less than 1,000 tonnage were advised not to sail. “It is already our policy to suspend passenger vessels lower than 1,000 tonnage if seas are moderate to rough. We are doing this to prevent accidents from happening,” said Manto.

The Coast Guard Cebu has already suspended trips going to Tubigon, Bohol since Saturday and Tagbilaran, Bohol since Monday.

Affected destinations included Negros Oriental, Ormoc City and Leyte.

“Those passenger vessels above 1,000 tonnage are allowed to sail,” said Manto as big shipping lines bound for Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental, including other parts of Mindanao are still on schedule tonight.

But trips to Maasin and Ormoc City in Leyte are suspended even with over 1,000-ton passenger vessels due to very rough seas and string winds in the said provinces.

Hundreds of passengers are still stranded at the Cebu port.

Typhoon Gener is expected to exit the country tomorrow according to Pagasa. (FCR-PIA7 Cebu)