Tropical Storm Ofel spared Negros Occidental but passengers bound for Iloilo and Manila remained stranded at Bacolod ports for most of yesterday.

Sea travel is expected to be back to normal today.

Tropical Storm Ofel had maintained its strength and was traversing the West Philippine Sea away from the country at 11 p.m. yesterday, PAGASA said.

“Thank God Negros Occidental was spared,” Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. said yesterday.

Only heavy rain with no strong winds hit northern Negros Occidental, and so far no damage has been reported, he said.

Storm signals number two hoisted over northern Negros Occidental and number one over the rest of the province were lifted by PAGASA yesterday.

Philippine Coast Guard Bacolod chief, Lt. Commander Dominador Senador, said sea travel from the ports of Escalante and San Carlos City in northern Negros Occidental to Cebu had resumed yesterday morning since the typhoon signal there has been lifted.

Travel to Panay only resumed late yesterday when the typhoon signal in Iloilo was lifted, while travel to Manila is expected to resume today with Ofel having left the country.

At 11 p.m. yesterday typhoon signal number one remained only over Zambales and Bataan, PAGASA reported.

Passengers stranded at the Bacolod ports complained that they had ran out of money for food having been there since Wednesday.*CPG

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