Severe Tropical Storm Opong Strands Nearly 6,000 Passengers and Cargo Personnel Across Philippine Ports

MANILA – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported on Thursday that 5,929 passengers, truck drivers, and cargo helpers remain stranded at various ports within areas threatened by Severe Tropical Storm Opong (international name Bualoi).

As of 4 p.m., the PCG confirmed that 101 seaports suspended sea travel operations, impacting 2,340 rolling cargoes, 81 vessels, and 31 motorbancas. The affected regions include Eastern Visayas, Southern Tagalog, Northeastern Mindanao, Central Visayas, and the Bicol Region.

In anticipation of the storm, 355 vessels and 226 motorbancas sought shelter from Opong, which the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) forecasted to intensify to typhoon strength before making landfall over Northern Samar early Friday morning.

By 8 p.m., PAGASA reported that Opong was positioned approximately 150 kilometers east of Borongan City, Eastern Samar, with maximum sustained winds reaching 110 kilometers per hour and gusts up to 135 kilometers per hour. The storm is moving closer to Eastern Visayas.

On Friday, Opong is expected to journey west-northwestward, passing near or over the Sibuyan Sea and traversing parts of the Bicol Region, southern Calabarzon, and northern Mimaropa. It will likely emerge over the West Philippine Sea by early Saturday morning.

In response to the approaching storm, the PCG Eastern Visayas District escalated alert levels at all its stations and sub-stations as of Wednesday to ensure readiness against the threat posed by Opong in the region.