Sea trips resume as Auring leaves 5,000 stranded —PCG

Sea travel in areas affected by Storm Auring has already resumed with 5,000 stranded passengers waiting for their trips, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilo said Tuesday.

Interviewed on Unang Balita, Balilo said sea travel started to resume in Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Bicol, and Visayas areas on Monday.

“Umaabot nga tayo sa 5,000 kahapon, pero ngayon po ay hindi na sila stranded kundi may mga delays na lang sapagkat 'yung mga turnaround ng mga barko ay medyo mabagal,” he said.

According to Balilo, most vessels that took shelter in other ports amid the threat of Auring, the first cyclone to hit the country in 2021, are starting to return to their designated ports.

Operations in sea travel are expected to normalize this Tuesday, Balilo said.

Due to the cancelation of trips, around 300 trucks containing food supply were stranded in Lipata Port in Surigao del Norte.

Balilo said 16 trucks containing hogs to be delivered to Luzon will be prioritized for travel.

Amid the onslaught of Auring, a maritime incident involving a fishing boat in Surigao area was reported. “Pero, na-rescue naman po,” Balilo said. —KBK, GMA News