4,000 stranded as ‘Ada’ becomes tropical storm
Tropical Storm “Ada” (international name: Nokaen) intensified into a tropical storm on Thursday, stranding nearly 4,000 passengers in various ports nationwide and raising fears of mandatory evacuations in the country’s eastern seaboard, particularly in the Bicol region, which is also dealing with a restive Mayon Volcano.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Ada, spotted 400 kilometers (km) east of Surigao City at 5 p.m., had maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph.
The country’s first storm for 2026 reached tropical storm category at 2 p.m. and was moving northwestward at 15 kph, the state weather bureau added.
Ada is forecast to continue its northwestward tack through Friday, before moving north-northwestward to northward on Saturday and then northeastward on Monday.
Possible landfall
“Ada may pass close to Eastern Samar and Northern Samar by Saturday and Catanduanes by Sunday. A further westward shift in the forecast track may result in a possible landfall over Eastern Visayas and the Bicol Region,” Pagasa said.
Ada may gradually intensify while traversing the Philippine Sea over the next 48 hours before gradually weakening as it turns northeastward over the east of Catanduanes.
With winds at 39 to 61 kph, Pagasa said it expected light to medium damage to high-risk structures, but flowering rice crops may suffer significant damage. The bureau hoisted Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 in most parts of the country, although it said that it was not expecting the wind velocity to go beyond Signal No. 2.
The Philippine National Police, however, continued to deploy personnel to help in preemptive evacuations, while the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said a total of 3,961 passengers and drivers were already barred from embarking on sea voyages at 14 ports nationwide.
The PCG reported 1,344 rolling cargo and 15 vessels stranded in the ports, while another 10 vessels had sought shelter around noon.
Stranded passengers
The highest number of stranded passengers was in the Bicol region at 1,816, alongside 620 rolling cargo and nine vessels stranded in three ports, particularly the ports of Mobo, Pilar and Castilla.
In Eastern Visayas, there were 1,340 passengers, 371 rolling cargo and five vessels stranded across eight ports.
Another three ports in Northeastern Mindanao were holding 805 passengers, 353 rolling cargo and one vessel, while 10 vessels had sought shelter.
Ada was forecast to make a close approach to Catanduanes by either Saturday evening or Sunday morning.
“Our disaster response protocols have already been activated in areas that would be directly affected by this weather disturbance,” acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement on Thursday. “Search and rescue assets have been prepared in case they are needed.”
“I have already ordered the deployment of a sufficient number of our personnel to assist in preemptive evacuation, especially in areas near Mayon Volcano to protect the residents from possible lahar flow,” he added.
Mayon Volcano in the nearby province of Albay was placed under alert level 3 by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology due to increased volcanic activity and a potential eruption within the coming days or weeks.
