Sea travel restored in nearly all Bicol ports

After typhoon "Mina" (international name: Mitag) veered away from the region, the Philippine Coast Guard on Monday allowed sea vessels to set sail from almost all ports in Bicol. Radio dzBB quoted Vice Admiral Danilo Abinoja, Coast Guard Commandant, as saying that he gave the order after weather conditions in the region improved. The Coast Guard official, however, said that vessels going to and from Tabaco City are still banned from travel as waters there are still turbulent. The report added that about 200 passengers were still stranded at the Tabaco pier. Also, the Coast Guard reiterated its advice for local sea commuters to take caution as three weather disturbances threatened the country as of Monday morning. The Coast Guard has recorded at least three maritime incidents amid the fury of "Mina" and tropical storm "Lando." A Filipino vessel and a Vietnamese seacraft capsized at the South China Sea in separate incidents last week, leaving 33 fishermen missing. The report added that 26 of them were Filipinos. Also last week, some 55 passengers and 19 crew members of MV South Pacific were briefly stranded at sea after the vessel run aground off the coast of northern Leyte early Friday morning. The vessel was later able to dock and all 74 people were ferried safely back to land. - GMANews.TV