Over 1,800 passengers stranded in ports due to Agaton —PCG

Close to 2,000 passengers were stranded in various ports on Monday morning due to Tropical Storm Agaton (international name: Megi), according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

Interviewed on Unang Balita, PCG commandant Admiral Artemio Abu said 1,813 passengers were stranded in  Bicol, Eastern Visayas, and northeastern Mindanao.

“Sa oras na ito, meron tayong mahigit isang libong na stranded passengers, 1,813 ang stranded passengers natin dito sa Bicol, Eastern Visayas, at Northeastern Mindanao,” he said.

(Right now, we have more than a thousand stranded passengers, 1,813 stranded passengers here in Bicol, Eastern Visayas, and northeastern Mindanao.)

He said the PCG is closely monitoring the ports in Liloan, San Ricardo, Ormoc, Isabel, Bato, Sta. Clara, Dapdap, Daram, and Naval in Easter Visayas; Surigao, Lipata, Nasipit, and Placer in northeastern Mindanao; and Matnog in Bicol.

When operations resume, Abu said the PCG will monitor possible overloading of passengers as people flocked to the provinces for the Holy Week break.

As of 4 a.m. on Monday, the PCG said in an update that a total of 2,973 passengers, drivers, and cargo helpers; 1,387 rolling cargoes; 29 vessels; and a motorbanca were stranded.

At least 76 vessels and four motorbancas were taking shelter amid the storm.

Moderate to rough sea condition was monitored in Eastern Visayas, Bicol, northeastern Mindanao, Central Visayas, and Western Visayas.

At 4 a.m., state weather bureau PAGASA said Agaton's center was located over the coastal waters of Tanauan, Leyte (11.1°N, 125.1°E).

It has maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 90 km/h, and central pressure of 998 hPa.

Agaton is moving west northwestward slowly. At 5 a.m. it was over San Pablo Bay. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA News