A FASTCRAFT vessel operator at the Bacolod Real Estate Development Corp. (Bredco) port in Bacolod City said the occurrence of Tropical Depression Usman days before New Year is a bad timing.
Frank Carbon, operator of Weesam Express, said Thursday, December 27, the volume of passengers usually surges during holidays like Christmas and New Year.
Thus, potential revenues during these times also increase as many passengers are really traveling from Bacolod to Iloilo to spend their long vacation in their respective places.
Carbon, though, said they will not incur opportunity losses with the cancellation of trips.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Negros Occidental on Thursday suspended all sea vessel trips in the province as Negros Occidental was placed under Storm Signal No. 1.
The order on cancellation of trips among fastcraft and roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) vessels started at 11 a.m.
As of December 27, 3 p.m., the number of stranded passengers at the Bredco Port was pegged at least 1,000.
"It is better safe than sorry," Carbon said, adding that they are not considering it as opportunity losses.
Aside from Weesam, the two other fastcraft vessels are SuperCat of 2Go Travel and Ocean Jet Ferries Inc.
On ordinary days, all three fastcraft vessels normally incur a total of at least P200, 000 in opportunity losses per day due to cancellation of trips.
Unlike New Year, for instance, passengers would still travel once the trips resume, the operator pointed out.
"The stranded passengers will still going to travel once the suspension of trips is lifted as they really want to celebrate New Year in their homes unless the cancellation continues until January 1," Carbon said.
But based on the monitoring of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), the trips might resume Friday, December 28, Carbon also said.
This means that instead of opportunity losses, it can only be considered as "delayed" revenues, he added.