MANILA – A total of 553 passengers were stranded in the Bicol Region Friday, due to rough seas stirred by Tropical Storm Ramon (international name: Kalmaegi), the Philippine Coast Guard said on Friday.

The stranded passengers are in the provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur and Catanduanes, the Coast Guard said, as it directed its personnel to "ensure the safety of lives and properties at all costs."

The Coast Guard also temporarily suspended operations of 107 rolling cargoes, 8 vessels and 2 motor bancas due to bad weather. At least 8 vessels and 5 motor bancas took shelter from the storm, it said.

Storm Signal no.1 was raised in the southeastern portion of Cagayan (Peñablanca and Baggao), eastern portion of Isabela (Divilacan, Palanan, Dinapigue and Maconacon), northern Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, and Dinalungan) and Polillo Islands.

Sea travel remains risky especially for small sea crafts over the seaboards of areas under signal No. 1, the seaboards of Norhern Luzon, and the eastern seaboards of Central and Southern Luzon, PAGASA said.

Ramon was last spotted 445 kilometers east northeast of Casiguran, Aurora at 4 a.m. Friday, packing maximum sustained winds of up to 75 kph near the center and 90 kph gusts, PAGASA said.