Asian Spirit, Cebu Pacifc cancel flights

Asian Spirit and Cebu Pacific airlines on Friday afternoon called off five flights from Manila bound for provinces affected by tropical storm Caloy, GMA 7's DZBB reported. Asian Spirit called off flights 587 from Manila going to Catarman, Samar; flight 651 going to Virac, Catanduanes; flight 867 going to Caticlan, Aklan; and another flight bound for Masbate. For its part, Cebu Pacific canceled flight 5J838 from Manila going to Kalibo, Aklan. It reported that flight 475 going to Bacolod City was also delayed because of the weather disturbance. Philippine Airlines (PAL) has not given word if it will resume flights in Panay and Bicol region that were canceled Friday morning. The canceled PAL flights were: PR 189/190 going to Manila-Roxas-Manila; PR 321/322 going to Manila-Kalibo-Manila; PR 261/262 going to Manila-Naga-Manila; and PR 277/278 going to Manila-Legaspi-Manila. State weather forecasters as of posting time hoisted storm signal no. 2 over Sorsogon, Ticao Island, Albay, Masbate, Burias Island, Romblon, Marinduque, Camarines Sur, Oriental Mindoro and Southern Quezon. Public Storm Signal No. 1 was in effect over Occidental Mindoro, Lubang Island, Calamian Group of Island, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, rest of Quezon, Polillo Island, Rizal, Laguna, Batangas, Cavite, Bulacan, Bataan, Metro Manila, Northern Samar and Northern Panay in Visayas area. In a related development, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) prohibited passenger ferries and other sea craft from traveling to affected islands and provinces. Larry Amparo, chief operating officer of the Region 4-Office of the Civil Defense (OCD), said the number of stranded passengers swelled to more than 6,000. Most of the stranded passengers were in Bicol region (2,762 passengers) and Eastern Visayas (2,480). Amparo said some 699 passengers were unable to travel in Southern Tagalog. Meanwhile, a ferry sank while being towed to Tabaco port in Albay because of strong winds and waves brought by storm Caloy. The MV Northern Samar, which packs a gross weight of about 200 tons, sank while it was being towed to shelter. No casualties were reported.-GMANews.TV