Basyang weakens, exits Phl today

MANILA, Philippines - Tropical Storm Basyang weakened into a tropical depression yesterday and is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility today, the state weather bureau said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Basyang weakened after making landfall over the Visayas region and due to the presence of the northeast monsoon.

PAGASA said Basyang maintained its strength while over the West Philippine Sea.

The center of the storm was estimated at 88 kilometers southwest of Coron, Palawan with maximum winds of 55 kilometers per hour. It is expected to be at 764 km west of Coron this afternoon.

In its 5 p.m. bulletin yesterday, the state weather bureau said northern Palawan, the Calamian group of islands, Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro remained under public storm warning signal No. 1.

These areas should expect 30 to 60 kph winds within the next 36 hours.

Residents living in low-lying and mountainous areas under storm signal No. 1 are alerted against possible flashfloods and landslides.

Fishing boats and other small sea vessels are advised not to venture out to the eastern seaboard of Luzon due to the northeast monsoon surge.

Passenger ship sinks off Cebu

A crewmember of a passenger ship died after the ferry sank off Camotes Island in Cebu at the height of the storm Friday night, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said yesterday.

PCG Central Visayas district commander Commodore William Melad identified the fatality as Danny Tundag, 26.

Reports said that M/B Ave Maria 5 was docked at Poro in Camotes Island at 10 p.m. when it was hit by big waves, causing the ship to capsize.

The other crewmen managed to swim to the shoreline. Tundag, however, was trapped under the boat.

Rescuers recovered his body 14 hours after the incident.

Over 18,000 displaced

Basyang displaced more than 18,000 people in three regions, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said yesterday.

The NDRRMC said a total of 18,518 people or 3,698 families in Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas and the Caraga region are staying in 74 evacuation centers.

Majority of the evacuees came from Leyte with 9,580; Cebu, 4,215, and Dinagat Islands in Caraga with 3,727. The storm also displaced residents in Biliran, Southern Leyte and Surigao del Norte.

The NDRRMC said 9,541 passengers, 164 vessels, 877 rolling cargoes and 21 motorized boats have been stranded due to the bad weather.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development has prepared P104.3 million worth of relief assistance consisting of food packs and non-food items.

The PCG said the number of stranded passengers went down from 9,023 to 7,464 as of yesterday.

More than 3,000 people are still waiting in shipping terminals in Metro Manila, the PCG said.  â€“ With Evelyn Macairan, Alexis Romero, Ben Serrano