A total of 1,125 passengers have been stranded and close to 700 trucks, cars, trailers were marooned on Wednesday along Maharlika Highway in the towns of Matnog and Pilar in Sorsogon province, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Bicol said.
Gremil Alexis Naz, OCD-Bicol spokesperson, said in an interview the vehicles and people were stranded due to the order issued to local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils to implement the “no sailing policy” to brace for the possible onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Odette.
An OCD report said there were 397 trucks, 71 cars, 12 trailers, and a passenger bus among the long queue of vehicles that were parked along the highway leading to the Matnog Port.
In Pilar town, some 177 trucks and 12 cars occupied the highway in Barangay Putiao.
More than a thousand passengers were also stranded after police authorities prevented the rolling cargoes from entering the ports to avoid congestion.
The report said despite the suspension by the Land Transportation Office-Bicol of land travel on Monday due to “Odette”, some trucks and vehicles managed to pass through road checkpoints en route to the ports.
Source: Philippines New Agency