PORTS RESUME OPERATIONS

THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday ordered all ports to resume operations after a low pressure area (LPA) lifted. PCG spokesman and Commander Armando Balilo in a text message to The Manila Times said they have ordered the resumption of port operations in the country. As of 12 noon of January 10, the PCG recorded a total of only 869 passengers, 28 rolling cargos and 33 vessels stranded because of the LPA. On January 9, nearly 12,000 passengers were stranded in almost all sea ports, mostly in the Visayas and Mindanao.

30 TRUCKS PUT OUT FIRE IN NAVOTAS

AROUND 30 firetrucks with almost 200 firefighters rushed to a depressed community inside Navotas City’s fish port area in Metro Manila as thousands of houses were gutted down at dawn on Tuesday. The fire that started at 4 a. m. was raised to Task Force Alpha alarm as it engulfed more than 1,000 structures of informal settlers inside the fishport compound. At least 1,200 families were brought to different evacuation areas in the city on orders of Mayor John Rey Tiangco. Navotas City firefighters told members of the media that the fire spread fast as most structures were made from light materials.

CAB DRIVER NABBED FOR OVERCHARGING

A TAXI driver was arrested for forcing a passenger to alight from his cab after refusing to pay extra flag - own fee, aviation police on Tuesday said. Ivan Incirto, 26, of Al Rose taxi (ABS 5137) was arrested on the complaint of Brian Jaen, 33, a newly arrived seafarer. The Aviation Security Group (Avsegroup) said Jaen boarded Incirto’s cab at the regular metered taxi lane of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA 3) last Sunday and asked to bring him to SM Bicutan. About 50 meters away from the terminal, Incirto demanded P1,500 fare, which Jaen protested. This irked the driver and forced the passenger to alight. Jaen then reported the matter to Avsegroup’s Mobile Patrol Security Unit outpost near the terminal that arrested Incirto, who was about to pick up another passenger at NAIA 3.

7.2 MAGNITUDE QUAKE ROCKS CELEBES

AN earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 shocked the Celebes Sea at 2:13 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said. Its depth of focus was at 625 kilometers. The Phivolcs reported that Intensity 2 was felt in General Santos City. It said it was not expecting any damage but aftershocks were expected.