Tropical Storm Pepito Halts Bacolod-Manila Sea Trips

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD CITY – Sea trips between Bacolod and Manila have been temporarily suspended since Saturday, November 16, due to Tropical Storm Pepito.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)-Northern Negros Occidental, in a 5 p.m. advisory on Sunday, November 17, cited a weather bulletin from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

As of 4 p.m. Sunday, the storm’s center was estimated in the vicinity of Nagtipunan, Quirino.

Tropical Storm Pepito had maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h near its center, gustiness of up to 305 km/h, and a central pressure of 935 hPa.

The storm was moving northwestward at 25 km/h, with strong to typhoon-force winds extending up to 300 km from its center.

Metro Manila remained under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 as of 5 p.m. Sunday.

The PCG advised coastal communities and fisherfolk to take precautionary measures and, if possible, avoid navigating during the inclement weather.

Commander Jansen Benjamin, head of PCG-Northern Negros Occidental, confirmed that no passengers were stranded in the province, as vessels bound for Bacolod did not depart from Manila.