Gale force winds, caused by the tailend of a cold front and a northeast monsoon, forced the temporary suspension of sea travel for fastcraft vessels last Saturday.

Based on a bulletin issued by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) at 5:00 a.m. that day, they forecasted winds between 48 and 63 kilometers per hour with rough to very rough sea conditions along the seaboards of Negros Occidental and Panay.

In compliance with the bulletin, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Bacolod station commander, Lieutenant Senior Grade Jimmy Oliver Vingno, immediately ordered a halt to vessels weighing below 250 gross tonnage, effectively barring most fastcraft vessels bound for Iloilo City from leaving port.

However, roll-on/roll-off vessel operations bound for the Dumangas port in Iloilo continued throughout the day. One fastcraft vessel weighing above the 250 gross tonnage requirement was also allowed to continue sailing, although passengers noted very rough sea conditions.

Aside from Bacolod City, fastcraft and pumpboat operators along the Pulupandan-Guimaras, Valladolid-Guimaras, Victorias-Ajuy, and Cadiz City-Bantayan routes were also barred from leaving port.

Fastcraft operations returned to normal late Saturday afternoon after PAGASA lifted the gale warning in Negros Occidental./DGB, WDJ