February 6, 2026
TAGBILARAN CITY – Amid a gloomy sky on Thursday, fishermen in Barangay Manga here tied their boats on top of bamboo rafts moored at the fish port, instead of sailing for a catch as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) warned against sea trips ahead of the onslaught of Tropical Storm “Basyang” (international name: Penha).
The measure is a precaution against the boats being tossed against each other by strong waves and being washed away to the sea.
The fisherfolk community in Manga were also advised to be vigilant about potential storm surge that will affect their coastal community.
In its 11 a.m. weather bulletin, the state weather bureau hoisted Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 over the southern part of Bohol province as Basyang continued to intensify and accelerate while moving closer to Eastern Mindanao. It warned of possible gale-force winds that may pose a danger to fishing boats.
Ahead of Basyang’s onslaught, classes had been suspended since Wednesday in Eastern Visayas and Caraga regions.
On Thursday, PCG had also suspended sea travels in practically the whole of the Visayas and Mindanao. The suspension of sea travels had stranded at least 130 passengers in Southern Leyte as of Thursday.
In Candijay, Bohol, at least nine families were forcibly evacuated from their homes to avoid any untoward incident as their community is facing high risk of flooding and landslides.
In Surigao del Sur, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said that as of 6 p.m. on Thursday, some 17,278 families had been affected by Basyang’s fury in the province as it headed for land.
Of these families, 1,866 (6,333 people) are staying in 79 evacuation centers, while 104 families (283 people) are temporarily sheltered outside evacuation facilities, mostly with relatives. Earlier, the local government of Bayabas town preemptively evacuated some 160 families from their communities.
Heavily affected are the towns of Carrascal and Cagwait, and Tandag City.
Evacuations were also reported in Bislig City and in the towns of Hinatuan, Cantilan, Cortes, Lianga, Marihatag, Bayabas, Barobo, San Miguel and Lingig.