ON ALERT. Personnel of the Coast Guard Station in Ilocos Norte are on full alert status in this undated photo. Sailing of fishing boats and conduct of water activities were temporarily suspended on April 3, 2024 even after the tsunami alert, following the magnitude 7.5 earthquake that hit Taiwan earlier in the day, was lifted. (Photo courtesy of Coast Guard Station Ilocos Norte)
LAOAG CITY – The Philippine Coast Guard in Ilocos Norte suspended the sailing of fishing boats and other small sea crafts despite the lifting of the tsunami alert Wednesday afternoon.
Lt. Joseph Christian Sagun, station commander of the Coast Guard Station in Ilocos Norte, said the boat trips suspension is a safety precaution as they continue to be on full alert following a tsunami alert by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) in the wake of the 7.5 magnitude earthquake that struck Taiwan earlier in the day.
Any water activities were also temporarily suspended, while owners of boats in harbors, estuaries or shallow coastal waters were advised to secure their boats and move these away from the waterfront, she said.
“Boats already at sea during this period should stay offshore in deep waters until further advised,” Sagun added.
The PCG has been in close coordination with local government units and the provincial disaster coordinating council as it continues to monitor further information on alert levels. (PNA)
