MANILA (UPDATE)- Thousands of passengers were stranded in ports, particularly in Sorsogon and Cebu, after officials cancelled sea trips due to bad weather brought by Tropical Storm Agaton, officials said Sunday.

The Philippine Coast Guard said as of Sunday afternoon, there were 1,419 passengers drivers and cargo helpers who were stranded mostly in Eastern Visayas, Bicol, and Northeastern Mindanao due to the storm.

A total of 951 rolling cargoes and 10 vessels, it said, were also stuck in ports while 71 vessels and 6 motorbancas took shelter in the same areas.

In Matnog Port in Sorsogon, around 1,000 passengers were stranded after the Coast Guard suspended Sunday morning trips of vessels bound for parts of Visayas.

Most of those who were stranded are people who are going home to their provinces for the Holy Week.

In Cebu, 296 passengers were suspended after the local Coast Guard suspended 6 trips headed for Matnog; Cataingan, Masbate; Ormoc, Leyte; and Camotes Islands.

PAGASA's office in Mactan has issued an orange rainfall advisory for central and northern Cebu.

The state weather bureau has also raised Signal No. 1 over the northeastern portion of the province and Camotes Islands.

• More areas under Signal No. 2 as 'Agaton' gains strength: PAGASA

In Cebu City, the local government raised on Saturday a "blue alert," which means all disaster responding units, the fire bureau and the police should be on standby for any eventuality.

Residents living in low-lying areas were also asked to evacuate.

"It is better to be over prepared than under prepared," city mayor Michael Rama said.

In Talisay City, motorists were unable to pass by a road in Barangay Manipis due to both landslide and flooding.

In the Eastern Visayas region, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has initially monitored 212 stranded passengers, drivers and helpers from three vessels at the Liloan Port and Port of San Ricardo.

In an advisory, the Coast Guard said they have monitored

— With reports from Karren Canon and Annie Perez