By Glazyl M. Jopson
BACOLOD CITY – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)-Northern Negros Occidental has issued a sea travel advisory on the temporary suspension of trips from San Carlos City to Toledo, Cebu due to rough sea conditions since Monday, Jan. 27.
The advisory follows a weather bulletin from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), which reported that the northeast monsoon is affecting Luzon, while easterlies are influencing the rest of the country. These conditions have resulted in rough seas in northern Negros Occidental and Cebu.
Coast Guard Ensign Pauline Villegas, public information officer of PCG-Northern Negros Occidental, said that San Carlos City has fair weather, but rough seas are encountered upon approaching Cebu.
The suspension has affected scheduled trips of M/V Lite Ferry 1, M/V Lite Ferry 2, and M/V FastCat M7.
As of Tuesday, Jan. 28, 87 passengers and 21 rolling cargoes were stranded at the San Carlos port due to the trip cancellations. However, Villegas said that the affected passengers have already returned home while waiting for the resumption of trips.
The PCG has advised the riding public, coastal communities, and fisherfolk to take precautionary measures and avoid venturing out to sea during inclement weather.
Meanwhile, OceanJet announced on its Facebook page that its 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. trips from Bacolod to Iloilo and vice versa were also canceled due to rough sea conditions.
Villegas noted that aside from OceanJet, other sea trips in the affected areas remain operational.
