INQUIRER FILES

LEGAZPI CITY — At least 782 passengers were stranded on Monday in various ports in the Bicol region due to the threats of the Tropical Depression Kristine.

Gremil Alexis Naz, spokesperson for the Office of Civil Defense Bicol, said 88 rolling cargoes and 19 sea vessels were also stranded in Albay, Catanduanes, Masbate, and Sorsogon after the Philippine Coast Guard suspended sea travel in ports due to expected strong winds and rough seas.

Naz said the regional disaster risk reduction and management council in the region was on red alert status to strictly implement response and monitoring of the effects of TD Kristine in the different areas.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) raised the Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 in Luzon areas, including Catanduanes, Masbate including Ticao Island and Burias Island, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Camarines Norte, and the eastern portion of Quezon (Tagkawayan, Guinayangan, Buenavista, San Narciso, San Andres); in Visayas, including Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Samar, Leyte, Biliran, and Southern Leyte; and in Mindanao areas, the Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte, including Siargao-Bucas Grande Group.

Pagasa said it was spotted 870 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas at 10 a.m., with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 70 kph while moving west-southwestward at 30 kph.