Rescuers search for 37 fishers
LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—Rescuers on Sunday continued to comb the West Philippine Sea for fishermen from Pangasinan province who had been reported missing since Oct. 2, when Tropical Storm “Kabayan” crossed the country’s western seaboard as it left mainland Luzon.
As of 11 a.m. Sunday, 37 fishermen in 15 fishing boats remained missing, said Rhodyn Luchinvar Oro, chief of the Pangasinan disaster risk reduction and management office.
In a report, Oro said 69 of 185 fishermen initially reported missing on Oct. 2 were rescued, while 79 others returned to their villages.
He said a fisherman, Matong Quintero of Barangay Poblacion in Infanta, was found dead on board FB Joshaina, which was earlier among the reported missing fishing boats, when it was recovered in Agno town.
Six of the missing fishermen were from Infanta town, 10 from Dasol, 14 from Bolinao and seven from Agno.
The storm also left two persons dead in Central Luzon last week, belated reports to the regional disaster risk reduction and management council (RDRRMC) showed.
Raquel Camilo, 57, was bitten by a snake as her village in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija province, experienced flash floods. Samuel Corcoro, 27, drowned in a river in Barangay Debuco in Maria Aurora town in Aurora province.
On Sunday, RDRRMC said 48 villages remained flooded in the region. At least 17 are in Bulacan, 25 in Nueva Ecija and six in Pampanga.
Lt. Senior Grade Alexander Corpuz, commander of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) station in Pangasinan, said 14 fishermen from Bolinao town were rescued by a cargo ship, MV Energy Atlantic, on Sunday as they drifted off Laoag City. They were expected to arrive on Sunday night in Bolinao town.
On Saturday, three fishing boats—FB Flores, FB Ruvina 1 and FB Princess Jenny—were found drifting in different areas in the West Philippine Sea.
Their crew members, however, were safe and rescued.
Corpuz said six fishermen were also rescued that day about 34 nautical miles (63 km) northwest of Bolinao town by a passing ship.
On Friday, Corpuz said, the fishing boat Princess Jenny was reported to have sunk. The boat was carrying eight crew members, who are all from the fishing village of Cato in Infanta.
The boat left Cato on Sept. 25 and it was on its way back to shore on Oct. 2, when it was battered by huge waves and capsized at 11 a.m., while it was about 22 nautical miles (40 km) west of Hermana Mayor Island in Sta. Cruz town in Zambales province.
But on Saturday, Corpuz said, Princess Jenny and its crew returned to Infanta, assisted by PCG personnel.
At 8 p.m. on Friday, Corpuz said FB Flores was found drifting on the waters off the coastal village of Aloleng in Agno town. Gabriel Cardinoza and Yolanda Sotelo, Inquirer Northern Luzon, and Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon
