TACLOBAN CITY, May 3 -- Red tide has remained in two bays in Samar provinces this week, largely due to changing weather patterns, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said Friday.

The BFAR regional office said in its latest advisory that the phenomenon persists in San Pedro Bay in Samar and Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar.

"The presence of toxic red tide is beyond the regulatory limit. All types of shellfish and alamang gathered from these areas are not safe for human consumption," the BFAR said.

The fisheries bureau has stepped up its monitoring of these coastal waters and reactivated its information drive system to alert the public and inform affected local government units (LGUs).

The BFAR requested LGUs in these bay...