About 300 passengers on a ferry stranded in rough seas for more than 24 hours were safely carried to land by small boats late Friday as a tropical storm battered the western Philippines. Rain and high waves were brought by Tropical Storm Halong that formed in the South China Sea, which is west of the Philippines. At least 15 provinces were placed on storm alert in China. The weather bureau warned residents in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes to expect flash floods and large waves. Continuous rainfall has forced several thousand people to leave their homes in the central and southern Philippines during the last week.