Passengers bound for Siquijor, Apo Island, and Cebu found themselves stranded at ports on Friday, July 10, 2026, after maritime authorities and commercial shipping operators pulled the plug on inter-island voyages amid dangerous sea conditions stirred up by Typhoon Inday and an enhanced southwest monsoon, or habagat.
The Coast Guard Station Negros Oriental — known as CGS-NegOr — released two separate sea travel advisories on Friday morning, while Maayo Shipping Incorporated independently announced the cancellation of its Cebu–Siquijor crossings covering both Friday and Saturday.
Dumaguete–Siquijor Fast-Craft Sailings Called Off
CGS-NegOr’s Sea Travel Advisory No. 04, issued at 9:00 a.m. on July 10, officially confirmed the scrapping of five fast-craft departures along the Dumaguete–Siquijor route. According to the advisory, the cancellations were triggered by formal cancellation letters submitted by HS Star Marine Shipping Corporation and Montenegro Shipping Lines.
The five cancelled sailings and their originally scheduled departure times were as follows:
- MV Starcraft 6 — 9:20 a.m.
- MV Maria Gloria — 10:00 a.m.
- MV Reina Quelita — 12:00 p.m.
- MV Reina Neptuna — 2:00 p.m.
- MV Reina Neptuna — 6:00 p.m.
CGS-NegOr stated that vessel operations along this corridor will only be allowed to resume “once prevailing weather and sea conditions improve and the concerned shipping companies resume their scheduled voyages.” The advisory bore the signature of Station Commander Lt. Marionne Abigail F. Enopia.
All Trips and Dive Activities to Apo Island Suspended
Two hours earlier, at 7:00 a.m., CGS-NegOr had already issued Sea Travel Advisory No. 03, placing a complete suspension on all sea trips and coastal diving operations to and from Apo Island — one of the Philippines’ most celebrated marine protected areas and a world-class dive destination.
The ban covered two primary access routes: the Dauin–Apo Island corridor and the Malatapay Wharf, Zamboanguita–Apo Island route, in both directions. Recreational boats operating within the waters of Dauin, Zamboanguita, and Apo Island — including those transporting divers for both recreational and training purposes — were grounded until further notice.
CGS-NegOr explained that the suspension was put in place to safeguard the welfare of passengers, crew members, vessel operators, divers, dive guides, dive instructors, and all other maritime stakeholders exposed to the hazardous conditions facing small watercraft. The station cited HPCG Memorandum Circular No. 03-01, which provides the regulatory framework for governing motorboat and vessel movement when no localized weather bulletins are in effect.
Maayo Shipping Pulls Cebu–Siquijor Trips for Two Days
Adding to the disruptions, Maayo Shipping Incorporated — headquartered in Tampi, San Jose, Negros Oriental — announced the suspension of its Liloan, Santander (Cebu) to Larena, Siquijor sailings, as well as the return leg from Larena, Siquijor to Bato, Samboan (Cebu), for both July 10 and 11.
In a bilingual public advisory, the company cited “possible unfavorable weather conditions brought by Typhoon Inday” as the basis for the cancellations, and encouraged affected passengers to reschedule their travel accordingly rather than proceed to the port.
Typhoon Inday: Distant but Disruptive Across the Visayas
As of Friday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) had not raised any tropical cyclone wind signal over Negros Oriental. Typhoon Inday — carrying the international name Bavi — was tracking over the Philippine Sea on a path toward extreme Northern Luzon and was not projected to make landfall on Philippine territory.
Despite its trajectory far from the Visayas, PAGASA warned that the combined effects of the typhoon’s outer periphery and the intensified southwest monsoon are generating rough coastal conditions and rainfall across both the Visayas and Mindanao. The weather bureau identified Negros Oriental as one of the areas likely to receive moderate to heavy rainfall estimated at 50 to 100 millimeters, raising the risk of localized flooding and landslides in low-lying and mountainous communities.
PAGASA further noted that Typhoon Inday is the ninth tropical cyclone to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility so far in 2026. The typhoon is forecast to exit the PAR by Saturday, July 11, before crossing over the eastern coast of mainland China by Sunday, July 12.
Travelers Urged to Check With Shipping Lines Before Heading to Ports
With conditions still evolving, authorities have strongly advised passengers to get in touch directly with their respective shipping companies to confirm whether their scheduled trips will push through before making their way to departure points. CGS-NegOr emphasized that cancellations and resumptions will depend on real-time sea and weather developments, making it essential for travelers to stay updated through official channels.
By the Numbers
- 5 — fast-craft voyages cancelled along the Dumaguete–Siquijor route on July 10
- 2 — sea travel advisories released by CGS-NegOr on Friday morning
- 2 — consecutive days affected by Maayo Shipping’s Cebu–Siquijor cancellations (July 10–11)
- 50–100 mm — PAGASA’s forecast rainfall range for Negros Oriental
- 9th — Typhoon Inday’s position as the ninth cyclone to enter the PAR in 2026
- July 12 — expected date of Typhoon Inday’s landfall along China’s eastern coast
Why This Matters
The halting of maritime connections to Siquijor, Apo Island, and Cebu cuts across one of Central Visayas’ most active inter-island travel corridors, stranding both regular commuters and tourists at a time when the region’s dive tourism economy depends heavily on reliable access to Apo Island. PAGASA’s rainfall forecast of 50 to 100 millimeters for Negros Oriental represents a genuine flood and landslide threat even in the absence of a wind signal, illustrating how a typhoon tracking hundreds of kilometers away can still produce significant hazards at the local level. The Coast Guard Station Negros Oriental and private shipping operators continue to monitor conditions and will announce resumptions only when safety can be assured.
Source: breakingnewsnegrosoriental.com
