By Liezle Basa Iñigo and Elena L. Aben
Dagupan City, Pangasinan — A massive multi-agency search-and-rescue (SAR) operation is underway to locate 42 missing fishermen, following the rescue over the weekend of 55 of the 97 fishermen who had set out to the West Philippine Sea aboard 15 fishing boats from the towns of Infanta, Bolinao, Dasol, and Agno, this province, during the onslaught of tropical storm “Kabayan.”
Lieutenant Alexander Corpuz, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) station commander in Sual, Pangasinan, said the rescue operation was launched last Saturday and involved helicopter reconnaissance flights in search for more missing at sea yesterday.
EERIE HAPPENSTANCE – It was purely by chance that Manila Bulletin photographer Jojo Riñoza submitted this photo of fishing boat Princess Jenny last September 22 as it was docked along the shore of Barangay Cato in Infanta, Pangasinan along with the fleet of vessels owned by Amy Daniel Rebuta. Princess Jenny, together with 14 fishing vessels from other Pangasinan towns, was confirmed to have sunk October 2 but, fortunately, all 11 of its passengers and crew were rescued.
“Meron po tayong anim na commercial fishing vessels conducting search and rescue operations sa part ng Agno, Dasol, Bolinao, plus two merchant vessels na nakapag rescue ng fishermen on Saturday night (We have six commercial fishing vessels conducting search and rescue operations in waters off Agno, Dasol, and Bolinao, plus two merchant vessels that had rescued fishermen on Saturday night),” Corpuz told the Manila Bulletin.
Corpuz described the SAR as a massie operation that involved, apart from the PCG, the police, the military, commercial maritime assets, local fisherfolk, and other government agencies.
“Mayroon pang apat na loaned motorized banca and one chopper currently conducting search and rescue operations sa parteng Bolinao at tapat ng La Union (There are four loaned motorized boats and one chopper currently conducting SAR in the Bolinao area and La Union),” he added.
shows a private helicopter that was dispatched by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to help in locating the remaining missing persons from the other ill-fated fishing boats. (Jojo Riñoza and Liezel Basa)
Reports of the missing fishermen being plucked from the sea by various vessels have come in, Corpuz said. “We are awaiting the arrival of 10 more rescued fishermen10 nautical miles in waters in the vicinity of Bolinao and Infanta,” he said, adding that tally of rescued fishermen was 55.
Corpuz did not mention any report of fatalities.
One of the first reports that came in was the rescue of 11 fishermen from “Fishing Boat (F/B) Princess Jenny,” which was on its way back to Barangay Cato, Infanta, Pangasinan last Friday when it got caught in the middle of storm Kabayan’s fury and sank.
The Pangasinan Police Provincial Office (PPO) said the boat, which set out to sea on September 25 or a week before the storm, reportedly sank about 24 nautical miles west of Infanta town in Pangasinan.
Next reported was the rescue of five fishermen from Bolinao, Pangasinan, who had set out to sea also on September 25 but failed to make their scheduled return on September 27 due to the threat of then oncoming storm Kabayan.
Barangay Chairman Ruben Elefante of Barangay Gabao, Santiago, Ilocos Sur, said fishermen from his locality spotted the distressed fishing boat, F/B Aiko Maru, aimlessly adrift last Saturday and rescued its five occupants.
They were identified by Elefante as Romeo Barnachea, 41; Alfred Dulay, Elmer Suyat, Mario Rulloda 30; and Lino Rollan, 32.
Another group of 10 fishermen on board fishing boat, “M/V Flores,” that came from Dasol, Pangasinan, were rescued in an operation last Friday, hours after its boat captain radioed the vessel was sinking.
It was learned that the vessel, owned by Florida Flores, left shore on September 30 (Wednesday) despite warnings of a low pressure area (that developed into tropical storm Kabayan) affecting the Luzon seaboards.
Earlier, the the Office of Civil Defense Region 1 (OCD-1) identified the missing crew of F/B Flores as Cepertino Casmiano, the boat captain, and his crew Martino Castañeda, Roejay Casmiano, Juan Victor Miguel Perges, John Paul Peñaranda, Jenrick Najaro, Sator Fernandez, and one “Alex.”
Meanwhile, group of fishermen from Agno, Pangasinan, on board eight fishing boats were reported missing based on a report received by the Agno Municipal Police Station (MPS) Thursday morning while Kabayan was sweeping across Luzon.
Lt. Cdr. Armand Balilo, PCG spokesman, said the crew of “NYK Joanna”, a cargo vessel transiting Philippine waters bound for Japan rescued seven of the Agno fishermen in the vicinity of 115 northwest of Salomague Island.
“The seven fishermen were successfully rescued and PCG is coordinating with the shipping company for the turnover of the said fishermen,” Balilo said.
As of press time, PCG said it is still waiting for the names of the rescued fishermen.
A report reaching the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) in Quezon City identified some of the missing fishing boats from Agno as “MBCA Renalyn,” “MBCA Edmar,” and four unmarked bancas (boats).
In Barangay Tupa, Agno, Pangasinan, an unnamed boat was reported to have capsized with five fishermen on board identified as Ruben Correa, Orlino Correa, Brandon Nebre, Gilbert Brendez, and Ryan Brendez.
The local government immediately coordinated with the coast guard for a search and rescue operation.
As of press time, Ruben and Orlino Correa and Gilbert Brendez have been rescued in Bolinao town.
In Barangay Tupa, Agno, Pangasinan, an unnamed boat was reported to have capsized with five fishermen on board identified as Ruben Correa, Orlino Correa, Brandon Nebre, Gilbert Brendez, and Ryan Brendez.
The local government immediately coordinated with the coast guard for a search and rescue operation. As of press time, Ruben and Orlino Correa and Gilbert Brendez have been rescued in Bolinao town.
In Infanta, Pangasinan, the OCD-1 reported five fishing vessels namely Judith Anne 2, Jonel, Jamie Kaye, Jay 5, and Joanna Marie, all with a total of 24 fishermen on board, as missing.
Another fishing boat from Barangay Balinngasay, Bolinao, Pangasinan with 14 people on board, the FB Marvin 2, was also listed as missing. The said boat reportedly left on Sept. 29.
In La Union, the NDRMC said two men, identified as Mario Romero and Dandy Rapol – Barangay Sa Julian West went missing after they went fishing despite bad weather. They were on board a light blue fishing boat with BJ marking, which left the coast of Agoo, La Union last Thursday.
Latest report from the OCD, however, showed that Romero and Rapol were rescued around 8:00 p.m. on Oct. 3.
In Baler, Aurora province, 14 fishermen onboard nine boats went missing after they were caught at sea by Kabayan. The said fishermen went fishing last Thursday and were caught sea by the storm.
Search and rescue operation was immediately conducted and as of Saturday, 13 of the fishermen have been rescued, while search and rescue operation is on-going for the remaining missing fisherman, Cesar Meneses.
Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor, spokesman of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said they have already alerted all police units especially in the coastal areas to check on communities for possible presence of the missing fishermen.
“The PNP has always been included in disaster preparation and response and normally, our units in the field are included in the conduct of search, rescue and response in cases like this,” said Mayor in an interview.
As of yesterday morning, a total of 16 fishing vessels and 71 fishermen are still in the missing list of the Office of Civil Defense of the Ilocos region.
“Right now, there are ongoing search and rescue operations in coordination with the local government units and the Philippine Coast Guard,” said Mayor. (With reports from Aaron B. Recuenco, Samuel P. Medenilla, and Freddie G. Lazaro)