Stranded boat passengers, vehicles form 3-km queue at Mindoro port
More than 1,000 boat passengers heading for Batangas province remain stranded at the port in Calapan in Oriental Mindoro on Tuesday, forming queues with their cars stretching up to three kilometers.
The situation prompted Coast Guard Calapan station commander Lt. Algier Ricafrente to appeal to passengers to delay travel plans from Calapan to Batangas until the problem is resolved.
“Lampas 3 kilometer ang pila ng sasakyan na umaasang makasakay para makatawid sa Batangas (We have a very long queue of vehicles hoping to cross over to Batangas. The queue is over 3 km long already)," Ricafrente said in an interview on dzXL radio.
He said most of those wanting to take a ride are vacationers returning from spending the Yuletide season with their families.
Ricafrente said the long queues persisted despite several trips made by vessels from Calapan to Batangas. He noted that there were no problems involving trips from Batangas to Calapan.
On Monday, he said vessels made at least 35 trips from Calapan to Batangas, ferrying 13,000 passengers and 400 vehicles.
Still, he said the trips were not enough to accommodate stranded passengers. “Sabay-sabay ang pasaherong gusto makauwi. Di ma-accommodate ng mga barko (So many passengers wanted to get home, there were simply not enough vessels to accommodate them)," he said.
Citing reports reaching him, Ricafrente said Mindoro Oriental Rep. Rodolfo Valencia (Lakas-CMD) had offered to ask the Philippine Navy to send a large vessel to the area to ferry the passengers.
"I received information that Rep. Rodolfo Valencia is coordinating with the Navy to send a large vessel here to accommodate the passengers. That is what we are waiting for," he said.
In the meantime, he appealed to passengers passing through Mindoro, particularly those from the Visayas, to defer their travel plans if possible.
"If your trip is not too important, we ask that you defer your trip for the moment," he said.
The situation at the port began after the Philippine Coast Guard imposed strict rules against overloading, following sea tragedies that happened during the Yuletide season. [See: Thousands stranded in Batangas, Calapan ports] - LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV
The situation prompted Coast Guard Calapan station commander Lt. Algier Ricafrente to appeal to passengers to delay travel plans from Calapan to Batangas until the problem is resolved.
“Lampas 3 kilometer ang pila ng sasakyan na umaasang makasakay para makatawid sa Batangas (We have a very long queue of vehicles hoping to cross over to Batangas. The queue is over 3 km long already)," Ricafrente said in an interview on dzXL radio.
He said most of those wanting to take a ride are vacationers returning from spending the Yuletide season with their families.
Ricafrente said the long queues persisted despite several trips made by vessels from Calapan to Batangas. He noted that there were no problems involving trips from Batangas to Calapan.
On Monday, he said vessels made at least 35 trips from Calapan to Batangas, ferrying 13,000 passengers and 400 vehicles.
Still, he said the trips were not enough to accommodate stranded passengers. “Sabay-sabay ang pasaherong gusto makauwi. Di ma-accommodate ng mga barko (So many passengers wanted to get home, there were simply not enough vessels to accommodate them)," he said.
Citing reports reaching him, Ricafrente said Mindoro Oriental Rep. Rodolfo Valencia (Lakas-CMD) had offered to ask the Philippine Navy to send a large vessel to the area to ferry the passengers.
"I received information that Rep. Rodolfo Valencia is coordinating with the Navy to send a large vessel here to accommodate the passengers. That is what we are waiting for," he said.
In the meantime, he appealed to passengers passing through Mindoro, particularly those from the Visayas, to defer their travel plans if possible.
"If your trip is not too important, we ask that you defer your trip for the moment," he said.
The situation at the port began after the Philippine Coast Guard imposed strict rules against overloading, following sea tragedies that happened during the Yuletide season. [See: Thousands stranded in Batangas, Calapan ports] - LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV
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