Occidental Mindoro map. INQUIRER FILE
LUCENA CITY — The two missing fishermen from Tingloy town in Batangas province were found safe on Wednesday morning, Feb. 14, in Occidental Mindoro, but another fisher is still the subject of a search-and-rescue operation in Calatagan town, also in Batangas.
Tingloy Vice Mayor Mikee Alvarez, reported in a post on her Facebook on Wednesday morning, that fishers Wilbert Binay, 43, and his younger brother, Edgar Glenn, 42, were found safe. Citing information from their families, Alvarez said the two brothers and their fishing boat “Velocity” were stranded in the coastal village of Bulacan in Looc, Occidental Mindoro.
“The two fishermen stayed inside an empty house to rest and eat. While the Binay siblings were resting, the SAR (search-and-rescue) team of Tingloy sighted the motor banca ‘Velocity’ and proceeded thereafter, where they confirmed that the siblings were safe,” Alvarez told the Inquirer in response to a comment on her post.
Her staff, Glaiza Eunice Flores, said the two brothers were found around 11 a.m. “They have already talked with their families. They were both safe and in good condition. They are now on their way home,” Flores said in a phone interview.
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The Binays, both residents of Barangay San Juan in Tingloy, were reported missing on Monday afternoon while fishing in the seas off Tingloy.
Batangas police said the brothers made a distress call around 5 p.m. to their families through a mobile phone and reported that their boat allegedly capsized in the vicinity of Barangay Makawayan, also in Tingloy.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard-District Southern Tagalog (CG-DST), on Tuesday afternoon, reported that another fisherman, Harvey Gadbilao, from Calatagan, also went missing, but his two companions – Johnmar Fronda, 19, and Mandy Calimag, 24, – were rescued.
The report said their fishing boat, “Jazzyly” suffered engine trouble and encountered big waves while adrift in the waters off Calatagan around 8 p.m. on Tuesday.
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The three fishermen jumped into the water to avoid being hit by an approaching larger sea vessel. Passing fishermen rescued Fronda and Calimag and brought them to safety in Barangay Sta Ana also in Calatagan.
The PCG deployed its multi-role response vessel, BRP Malapascua (MRRV 4403) in search of the missing fisherman.
In the wake of the recent maritime incidents, Commodore Geronimo Tuvilla, CG-DST commander, reminded all sea voyagers in a statement Wednesday “to exercise utmost caution” particularly in bad weather and sea conditions and in the absence of gale warnings and weather bulletins from the authorities. He asked the public to remain vigilant and prioritize safety protocols when venturing at sea.
He advised fishermen to be wary of potential engine issues, wear life jackets, bring communications equipment, and share plans with someone ashore as added safety precautions before sailing. While he acknowledged the importance of livelihood, Tuvilla emphasized that “safety is paramount.”
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