Missing fisherman in Catanduanes found in Samar

Abs-cbn News, Saturday, Juy 25, 2011

MANILA, Philippines – One of 10 fishermen who went missing in Catanduanes for 4 days at the height of tropical storm “Falcon” was found Saturday in northern Samar.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Executive Director Benito Ramos said the fisherman, identified as Prospero Tabios, was found alive after being swept ashore.

Tabios was rushed to the hospital and is under the care of the Department of Health.

“Na-recover siya at kasalukayan siyang ginagamot. Apat na araw siyang hindi nakakain at nakainom. Masyadong maalat ang tubig dagat,” said Ramos.

Ramos said the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard are now scouring Bicol's seas in efforts to find the other missing fishermen.

Ramos said that with the recovery of Tabios, the NDRRMC remains hopeful that the 9 fishermen still missing are alive.

abs-cbnnews.com

‘Falcon’ merges with LPA, gains strength

By Katherine Evangelista

Philippine Daily Inquirer, Thursday, June 23, 2011

MANILA, Philippines—Tropical Storm Falcon (international name: Maeri) gained strength on Thursday after it merged with a low pressure area that was earlier spotted off Catanduanes, according to the country’s weather bureau.

Public storm signal No. 1 was raised in Quezon, Aurora, Albay, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Isabela, Batanes Group of Islands and Cagayan, including Calayan and the Babuyan Group of Islands.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Falcon was expected to enhance the southwest monsoon and would bring rains over Central and Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Pagasa said residents in low-lying and mountainous areas should watch out for flashfloods and landslides. Fisherfolk in western Luzon, Visayas and eastern Mindanao should also refrain from venturing out to sea, it added.

As of 4 p.m. Thursday, Falcon was 420 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph.

It was moving northwest at 15 kph.

The low pressure area was spotted 550 km northeast of Virac, Catanduanes earlier Thursday .

Because of its interaction with this low pressure area, Falcon had slowed down.

Forecaster Rene Paciente also said that with the merging of the LPA and Falcon, more rains are expected in the country.

Falcon is expected to be out of the Philippine area of responsibility by Sunday. Its projected rainfall is 15 to 20 millimeters per hour, according to Paciente.

By Friday afternoon, Falcon is expected to be 270 km east northeast of Aparri, Cagayan, and 320 km north northeast of Basco, Batanes, by Saturday afternoon. By Sunday afternoon, it is expected to be 740 km north northeast of Basco, Batanes or 140 km northwest of Okinawa, Japan.

Meanwhile, seven fishermen were confirmed missing in Virac, Catanduanes. In its latest situation report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that the seven fishermen were from San Vicente village in Virac, Catanduanes. They were reported missing early Thursday afternoon and were reportedly aboard three fishing boats.

The missing fishermen were identified as Antonio Avila Bailon, Nestor Tapit Mandasoc and Vicente Rodriguez Tapit, who were on board a white-green-and-yellow-colored boat; Prosperos Tabios and Paquito Tabuzo who set sail on a yellow-colored boat; and Rolando Sarmiento Tabor and Denver Sta. Ines who were also on another yellow boat.

The Region 5 Office of Civil Defense has requested assistance from the Naval Forces Southern Luzon and Philippine Coast Guard-District Bicol in the search and rescue operations for the missing fishermen. The Philippine Navy will be deploying a PG112 boat and an Islander Aircraft as soon as weather condition improves, the NDRRMC said.

The PCG District Bicol has also issued a no sailing advisory for all motor boats, and passenger and cargo vessels within the region.

As of 6 a.m. Thursday, 210 passengers, 15 trucks, three passenger buses and a private car were reported stranded in the ports of Tabaco, Pio Duran and Rapu-Rapu, all in Albay. Six motor boats and nine other vessels were also confirmed marooned on the ports, the NDRRMC said.

Likewise, the Air Transport Office said it had also cancelled 30 international flights and 26 domestic flights due to the bad weather brought by Falcon.

The provincial disaster council in Albay also issued Advisory No. 2, which suspended classes on all levels in the province; instructed city and municipal mayors to evacuate residents living near flood-prone areas; ordered that no one shall cross flooded roads and bridges and swelling rivers; and warned those living near river banks and mountain slopes to take precautionary measures against possible flashfloods and landslides.

The Department of Public Works and Highways have prepositioned two stake trucks in Albay while the Philippine Army has readied six trucks in Polangui, two in Libon, and two more in Oas, all in the province of Albay, for any possible evacuation.

Ipo dam remained to be nearing critical spill level with 100.3 meters of water level as of 7 a.m. Thursday, the state-run disaster management council said.

newsinfo.inquirer.net

9 fishermen missing in Catanduanes

By Jorge Carino

ABS-CBN News, Thursday, June 23,2011

MANILA, Philippines – Nine fishermen have gone missing after sailing on 3 boats off Barangay San Vicente in Virac, Catanduanes Thursday morning.

Seven of the fishermen were identified as:

· Antonio Avila Baylon

· Nestor Tapit Mandazo

· Vicente Rodriguez Tapit

· Prospero Tabios

· Paquioto Tabus

· Rolando Sarmiento Tabor

· Denver Sta. Ines

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is tracking the joint efforts of local government units in Bicol, Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard in searching for the fishermen.

OCD Acting Chief for Operations Melchito Castro said 10 fishermen were loaded on 3 boats but only one fisherman made it back to shore.

Islander aircrafts of the Philippine Navy will be utilized in the search and rescue effort as soon as weather allows flight.

Since Thursday morning, 13 domestic flights have been cancelled in Albay. Albay and Catanduanes are the provinces in the Eastern Seaboard that have been badly hit by Tropical Storm Falcon.

"Actually ang apektado ngayon ay dito sa Eastern Seaboard, especially dito sa may Albay, Catanduanes at binabantayan din natin itong Region 2, itong Cagayan Valley at Babuyan Island. Dahil itong bagyong si Falcon ay ‘yun ang tinatahak nito," said Castro.

Maritime navigation is also on hold, leaving people stranded in the ports of Tabaco, Pioduran and Rapu-Rapu in Albay.

Nine vessels were not allowed to leave ports, stranding 201 passengers and 19 vehicles in the three ports.

Pre-emptive evacuation was ordered by Governor Joey Salceda to all mayors in the province, while suspension of classes in all levels has been in effect since morning.

abs-cbnnews.com

Thousands evacuated in Albay as 'Falcon' passes Bicol

By Phil Star, Thursday, June 23, 2011

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines - The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) in Albay has evacuated a total of 68,886 persons or 14,552 families as of noon today, who are all threatened by flooding brought by tropical storm Falcon.

PDRRMC chairman and Albay Governor Joey Salceda said the number of evacuees might increase depending on the weather condition.

The provincial government has initiated all necessary contingency measures specially in flood and landslide prone areas.

The PDRRMC also confirmed that due to floods, roads in Barangays Masarawag, Guinobatan, Sitio Paclas, Isidro, Libon and Sua-Quirangay are impassable. As of 12:00 noon, the upland roads in Polangui are also impassable because of a landslide.

Governor Salceda said the Philippine Army has prepositioned six trucks in the municipalities of Polangui, Libon and Oas, all in Albay, for the immediate evacuation of other flooded threatened residents.

The Philippine Navy has been tasked to distribute relief goods in the island of Batan, Rapu-rapu.

The PDRRMC of Albay reiterated its call to all mayors to evacuate immediately those residents located in the flood prone areas.

On the other hand, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) regional office in Bicol reported that 11 persons are missing in Albay and Catanduanes.

OCD regional director Raffy Alejandro said the missing persons have been identified as Rose Belga, 54, believed to have been swept away by ranging waters in Sitio Buga, Barangay Basag, Ligao City; Antonio Bailon, 40; Nestor Tapit Magdasoc, 50; Vicente Rodriguez Tapit, 40; Prospero Tabios; Paquito Tabuzo; Rolando Sarmiento Tabor; Denver Sta Ines; Pedro Balingit, 37; Jason Balingit; and Jonsy Rodriguez, all fishermen and residents of Bato and Virac, Catanduanes.

Alejandro said that Philippine Navy and the Coast Guard are now conducting search operation.

Meanwhile, 210 persons have been stranded in the sea ports of Tabaco City and Pioduran, Albay as of press time. (PNA)

PhilStar

Sea exercises

By Elena Aben

Manila Bulletin, Sunday, June 19, 2011

MANILA, Philippines -- Amid mounting tension over disputing claims to islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), the Philippine Navy (PN) joined five other navies from Southeast Asian countries in maritime security exercises with the United States Navy (USN) known as the Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism (SEACAT), the military said Sunday.

Commodore Miguel Jose Rodriguez, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman, expressed hope that after the 10th annual SEACAT, the PN may soon hold the same exercise with the Chinese Navy.

“It’s normal for navies to conduct drills, the Philippine Navy does them all the time,” Rodriguez said. “We’re now having SEACAT with other Asian countries, then by end of June we will have CARAT with the US Navy. No cause for worry. We hope someday we can exercise with the Chinese Navy.”

SEACAT is led by the US Navy and is centered this year in Changi, Singapore, where the exercise command and control center is located. A battle staff from each participating navy is organized in the respective navy headquarters of the participants to monitor all the activities of the exercise.

CARAT, which means Cooperation Readiness Afloat Training, is an annual bilateral exercise that embodies the spirit of the longstanding cooperative relationship between the Philippine Navy (PN) and the USN.

Lt. Col. Omar Tonsay, PN spokesman, said: “Combined navy units from participating Southeast Asian countries hold the SEACAT 2011 exercises as scheduled with the recent conduct of Command Post Exercise (CPX) and preparations for the forthcoming holding of a Field Training Exercise (FTX) on June 20 - 23, 2011 at strategic points of the exercise area.”

According to exercise orders issued by SEACAT 2011 exercise director for the Philippine Navy, Capt. Franco Sebastian T. Pan, the CPX is designed to exercise communication flow and decision-making processes in preparation for the FTX.

Pan said Philippine Navy liaison officers together with their counterparts from the other participating countries will consolidate and be posted at the Change Command and Control Center in Singapore. He added an FTX will take place throughout the Southeast Asia maritime domain particularly along strategic points of its vital sea lanes.

“This includes the movement of the USS Safeguard as the Contact of Interest (CoI) to Philippine area of responsibility for coordinated surveillance operations, tracking, and eventual conduct of Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) aboard the CoI,” said Pan.

Philippines wants peace not war

While moving to upgrade its defense capability, the Philippine government said it seeks peace not war in a territorial spat with China in the West Philippine Sea.

Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the government has constantly pushed for a diplomatic solution to the maritime conflict with China, especially the adherence to the international law to preserve peace in the region.

Malacañang hailed six Asian neighbors for supporting the call for a peaceful settlement to the sea dispute in the region, saying this has been Manila’s position since the conflict started.

“We welcome the multilateral call of the six ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-member nations for a peaceful resolution. We all have a stake in the peace and stability in the region. That has been our country’s call and approach to this dispute in the West Philippine Sea,” Lacierda said.

During a United Nations (UN) meeting in New York City last week, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos have called for the peaceful resolution to the conflict in the disputed territory in the South China Sea.

The six countries belonging to the ASEAN also pressed the use of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) to settle any maritime dispute among neighbors.

Other members of the regional bloc are the Philippines, Brunei, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

“I would reiterate that the Philippines is in total agreement with the statement. ASEAN is united in this,” Secretary Ramon Carandang of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) said.

Earlier, President Aquino said the government will not be bullied by China in a conflict over the West Philippine Sea, insisting China should desist from venturing into the country’s legitimate waters.

The President also vowed to increase government spending to upgrade the military’s capability to guard the country’s waters.

“By enhancing the capability of the military, we will no longer be bullied by any nation in times of conflict such as the dispute in the West Philippine Sea,” he said last week.

Meantime, the government is planning to spend around P40 billion in the next five years to enhance the capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in protecting the national territory.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad Jr. said the government intends to allocate P8-billion increase in the modernization program of the AFP starting next year. Abad explained though that the President approved the additional budget for the military “way before the tensions rose.”

Another P8 billion or higher may be allocated in 2012 depending on the government’s fiscal condition, said Abad.

This year, the Aquino administration allocated P11 billion to bankroll the AFP modernization program.

He explained though that the President approved the additional budget for the military “way before the tensions rose.”

“It’s meant to secure the perimeter of Malampaya (gas field in Palawan). Certainly, it’s not enough to cover our requirements but it is substantial enough to start with,” the budget chief said.

AFP chief Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr. welcomed the planned increase in the military’s modernization program, saying they will produce a list of priority acquisition mainly to upgrade the military’s “baseline capability.”

Among the priority military purchases are helicopters, transport aircrafts, and sealift vessels.

Oban said the Hamilton Class Cutter from the United States will be initially deployed to Palawan, around 80 nautical miles from Recto Bank, when it arrives later this year.

He said the military also plans to increase its “coast watch system” within 200 nautical miles of the country’s exclusive economic zone in Palawan.

He said the AFP modernization program is a priority of the Aquino administration “that has been neglected over the years.”

He said the planned increased budget for the AFP does not yet include investments to strengthen the Philippine Coast Guard.

mb.com.ph

China deploys ship to disputed islands

By Cris O. Odronia

Manila times, Friday, June 17,2011

BEIJING: China on Thursday said that it had sent a maritime patrol vessel to disputed islands and surrounding waters of the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) but insisted that it remains committed to peace in the region despite tensions with its neighbors.

Beijing had pledged that it would not resort to force to resolve lingering maritime territorial rows over the contested islands and waters, after the Philippines this week sought help from the United States and Vietnam staged live-fire military exercises in contrasting moves to assert their claims to the territories.

“On June 15, the . . . ship from the Maritime Safety Administration of Guangdong left for Singapore for a regular visit,” foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told journalists.

“China has been committed to resolve disputes over the South China Sea through direct negotiations with the parties concerned . . . we also remain committed to maintain peace and stability of the South China Sea,” Hong said.

State press said that the Haixun 31, China’s largest maritime patrol ship, is outfitted with a helicopter and capable of staying at sea for up to 40 days.

In order to get to Singapore, the vessel must traverse the South China Sea, which is home to two potentially oil-rich archipelagos, the Paracels and Spratlys.

China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia have competing claims to the Spratlys.

Beijing and Hanoi are at odds over the Paracels.

The area has commercial shipping lanes that are vital for global trade.

Tensions between China and other rival claimants escalated in recent weeks, with the Philippines and Vietnam in particular expressing alarm at what they say are increasingly aggressive actions by China in the disputed islands and waters.

A day before Beijing deployed the Haixun 31 to the West Philippine Sea, Manila announced that it had removed foreign markers in the Spratlys in an apparent muscle-flexing of its own.

The Philippine Navy on Wednesday said that it took out the markers, whose ownerships it did not establish, in May this year.

On Thursday, it called the removal of the markers a form of active defense on the part of the Philippines.

Rear Admiral Alexander Pama, Navy flag officer-in-command, said that they have responsibilities to protect the country’s 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone.

The Philippine Navy, together with the Philippine Coast Guard, according to Pama, would continue patrolling the contested islands round the clock.

Also on Thursday, Malacanang said that it was “premature” to discuss a proposal for joint exploration of the disputed Spratlys made by former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.

“Ultimately, what we do want to see is a way that the resources in the disputed areas can be jointly explored and jointly exploited by the different claimants. But it’s far ahead into the future,” Secretary Ricky Carandang of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office said.

Carandang added that Manila was preparing reports of alleged recent incursions into the West Philippine Sea by the Chinese Navy.

The secretary said that the reports would be submitted to the United Nations.

Instead of pushing for joint exploration with other claimants to the Spratly Islands, the Philippines should remain vigilant of China’s actionson the disputed territories in the West Philippine Sea, a lawmaker said also on Thursday.

“We should keep our guard up in spite of the conciliatory tone of the latest China sentiment on the Spratlys. Three or four years . . . in 1998 to 1999, we woke up to discover full-blown concrete military structures and facilities (in the territories),” Rep. Roilo Golez of Parañaque City (Metro Manila) pointed out.

Manila, Golez said, should raise China’s previous aggressions before the Association of Southeast Asian Nations; United Nations; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; and International Monetary Fund.

manilatimes.net

Pagsasanay ng Philippine Navy at Philippine Coast Guard, paghahanda sa pagbabantay sa mga coastline ng bansa

RMN News, Tuesday, June 14, 2011

IBINUNYAG ng palasyo ng Malacañang na nagsasanay na ang mga kawani ng Philippine Navy at Philippine Coast Guard sa pag-gamit ng bagong sasakyang pandagat ng Pilipinas na Hamilton Class Cutter na bago lang nakuha ng gobyerno.

Ayon kay Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda inihahanda na ang naturang sasakyang pandagat upang magamit agad ito sa oras ng pangangailangan.

Ngunit iginiit nito na gagamitin lang ang Hamilton Cutler upang bantayan ang napakalaking coastline ng bansa pati na ang pagbabantay sa environmental protection tulad na lamang ng smuggling ng black corals sa Sulu Sea.

Sinabi naman nito na iiwan nalamang nila sa Department of National Defense kung ano pa ang ibang pag-gagamitan ng naturang sasakyang pandagat.

rmnnews.com

26 fishermen rescued in Pangasinan

by : Zaida delos Reyes-Palanca, Saturday, June 11, 2011

TWENTY-SIX fishermen were reported missing as their fishing vessel capsized while on their way to Bolinao, Pangasinan.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Executive Director Benito Ramos said the identities of the missing fishermen were not yet available as of press time.

Reports reaching the office of the NDRRMC in Camp Aguinaldo yesterday revealed that the fishermen were aboard F/B 3MS WOF owned by Leo Carangay.

At around 5:05 p.m. on June 9, the fishing vessel lost communication to the ground.

The vessel was reported fishing somewhere in the Spratley Islands as of June 7.

However, on their way back to Bolinao, the vessel encountered big waves and heavy rains brought by typhoon “Dodong.”

Joint elements of Philippine Navy (PN) and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) are conducting search and rescue operation on baord two planes and two ships.

Ramos said as of 2 p.m. p.m. yesterday, 24 of the missing fishermen were rescued by a cargo vessel in South China Sea.

On Thursday afternoon, Pangasinan province was placed under storm signal number 1 due to tropical strom “Dodong.”

Aside from Pangasinan, also placed under storm signal number 1 were provinces of Bataan, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales.

As of Friday morning, storm signal in those areas were lifted as “Dodong” moved away from the country.

Journal Online

‘Thank God they wore orange life jackets’

By Donna Pazzibugan
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Saturday, June 11, 2011

Their bright orange life jackets saved them.

Almost a day after they sent out a radio message saying they were sinking, 24 fishermen of the boat F/V 3MS Wolf were plucked out of sea by a passing cargo ship in a rescue operation off Pangasinan province.

The 45-ton Wolf was one of at least four fishing vessels caught in stormy seas off Luzon at the height of Tropical Storm “Dodong.” The storm roared out of the country yesterday.

The 24 fishermen survived a night bobbing in the sea and were rescued yesterday morning after a Philippine Navy search plane spotted their orange jackets, relief officials said.

“Their boat sank. They had no boat. They were just floating. It was a good thing they all wore life jackets. No one died,” Office of Civil Defense Region I Director Andrew Uy said in a phone interview.

Uy said a Navy Islander aircraft spotted the fishermen around noon yesterday 38 nautical miles northwest of Bolinao, Pangasinan.

The Navy asked the nearest ship, the private cargo vessel MV Sea Palace, to pick them up and bring them to the nearest port.

Uy said the fishermen sailed out to Scarborough Shoal on Tuesday and were last heard from around 3:30 p.m. Thursday while “Dodong” was swirling across the sea.

‘We’re about to sink!’

The Wolf was heading for shore when its captain, Dominiano Sentino, was contacted on radio by company operations manager Rodrigo Caranay. Sentino was asking for help, saying his boat’s pump had malfunctioned.

“Lulubog na kami (We’re about to sink)!” Caranay said, quoting Sentino.

Last message

Caranay said he immediately asked for help from town officials, who then contacted the Coast Guard.

“That was their last communication that reached Bolinao. After that, nothing more was heard from them. (The people) believe their boat had sunk,” Uy said.

Fred Castelo, Bolinao municipal administrator, said the Wolf had run into strong winds and was battered by huge waves.

He said the fishing boat had planned to stay at sea for five days after leaving Bolinao.

The Wolf’s two back-up boats were able to return to Bolinao.

3 other boats

Another fishing boat sank 16 nautical miles off Santiago Island on Thursday but the five fishermen on board were rescued by another fishing boat, Castelo said.

Another group of fishermen was rescued in the South China Sea 32 nautical miles from Bolinao’s shores, Castelo said.

Search operations were continuing yesterday for at least three Bolinao fishermen aboard another fishing boat and a raft who were reported missing on Thursday.

As of yesterday, the official death toll from “Dodong” stood at two, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

On Wednesday, a 10-year-old boy was swept away by floodwaters in Barangay (village) Sampaga, Batangas City. His body was found Thursday in a river.

Also on Wednesday, a woman drowned after she was carried away by strong currents while crossing the Kabangan River in Romblon.

Nine other people were missing in different areas as of yesterday afternoon.

newsinfo.inquirer.net

Dodong leaves PH

By AFP
Journal Online, Saturday, June 11, 2011

AT least six people were killed and crew from two local boats were missing at sea as Tropical Storm Dodong (International codename Sarika) headed out of Philippine waters yesterday with many communities still flooded, rescuers said.

Four people drowned in the major southern island of Mindanao earlier this week while a boy died after falling into a swollen creek in Batangas City, and a woman drowned on the central island of Tablas, they said.

A Philippine Coast Guard plane yesterday found a number of people wearing orange life vests floating at sea off the main island of Luzon, said the government’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

The survivors are believed to be among the 26 crew members of a 45-tonne fishing boat that went missing during the storm on its way to its home port from the Spratly islands, said the council’s executive director Benito Ramos.

“The pilots saw some people afloat. We just don’t know how many,” Ramos told reporters. “The understanding is that since the boat was not found, it could have sunk,” he said.

Philippine Navy and Coast Guard vessels have been dispatched to the area off Anda town to pick up the presumed survivors, he added.

In another incident, one crew member of a barge went missing as the vessel, which was carrying agricultural products, ran aground near the town of Sariaya, south of Manila, the council said.

Several hundred people remained at evacuation centers across Luzon early Friday while waiting for floodwaters to recede, the disaster council said in its latest update.

Sarika was heading for southeastern China with peak winds of 65 kilometers (40 miles) an hour, after brushing the west coast of the main Philippine island of Luzon, the state weather service said.

An average of 20 storms and typhoons, some of them deadly, hit the Philippines every year.

Last month, tropical storm Aere left 31 people dead before Typhoon Songda killed another three.

journal.com.ph

Cargo vessel rescues 24 fishermen off Pangasinan

By VR/Sunnex
Sun Star Manila, Saturday, June 11, 2011

A CARGO vessel rescued 24 fishermen whose ship sank off Pangasinan at the height of storm Dodong, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported on Friday.

With the assistance of a Philippine Navy islander plane, the MV Sea Palace was able to locate and eventually rescue the 24 fishermen, OCD Ilocos region director Andrew Alex Uy said.

The group still proceeded to fish onboard the F/B 3MS Wolf at the Scarborough Shoal off Zambales.

However, the vessel lost radio contact on their way to back to Bolinao, Pangasinan on Thursday afternoon, prompting the search.

Earlier, it was reported that the fishermen numbered 26 and that they were at at the Spratlys Island or in the South China Sea off Palawan.

At around 12 noon Friday, a Navy aircraft spotted the fishermen 38 nautical miles northwest of Bolinao, floating in the water with their life jackets, Uy said.

"They were floating. Its fortunate that all of them have life jackets," he said.

He said the aircraft then spotted the transiting cargo vessel. “The Navy established communication , it coordinated with the MV Sea Palace to pick up the victim and ferry them…All of them are alive and were rescued,” he said.

The MV Sea Palace is expected to arrive Bolinao 4:30 p.m Friday.

sunstar.com.ph

NDRRMC: 26 fishermen missing off Pangasinan

By GMA News, Friday, June 10, 2011

(Updated 9:25 a.m.) At least 26 fishermen aboard a fishing vessel were reported missing after venturing into the Spratlys area but failing to return late Thursday afternoon, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Friday.

The NDRRMC said the fishing boat “3MS WOF" may have encountered stormy seas.

In its 6 a.m. Friday report, the NDRRMC said the fishermen "were believed to be heading back to Bolinao in Pangasinan."

In an interview on GMA News TV's News To Go Friday morning, Office of Civil Defense Administrator Benito Ramos confirmed the 26 fishermen were declared missing late Thursday after they failed to come back to shore at the expected time.

"Dapat makakabalik sila sa Bolinao mga 6:30 p.m. Nawalan sila ng contact mga 3:30 p.m. Pabalik na sana sila... siguro nasalubong ang bagyo...," Ramos said.

According to Ramos, two planes and two ships from the Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Navy have been deployed for the search-and-rescue operation.

"Maaga pa lang, nag-deploy na ang Coast Guard at Navy ng dalawang eroplano at dalawang barko para sa paghahanap ng mga mangingisda," he added.

On Thursday afternoon, Pangasinan was placed under Storm Signal No. 1 due to tropical cyclone Dodong. Also placed under the same storm signal were Bataan, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales.

The storm signal in all these areas was lifted Friday morning, as Dodong, which intensified into a storm, moved towards China.

According to the NDRRMC, the Office of the Civil Defense in the Ilocos Region has already coordinated with the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard for possible search and rescue operations.

However, bad weather conditions made a search-and-rescue operation impossible as of late Thursday.

"Once the sea calms down, (a) rescue boat of (the Philippine Coast Guard) and the Philippine Navy will proceed to the area immediately. A Navy boat and a PCG helicopter will be deployed to conduct search and rescue [operations on Friday]," the NDRRMC said.

The Coast Guard detachment in Sual, Pangasinan is made ready for search-and-rescue operations. A helicopter was set to conduct aerial surveys.

For its part, the Philippine Navy alerted boats at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Batanes area to monitor any boat sending distress signals.

A Navy patrol boat and plane were on standby at the SBMA.

On the other hand, the Department of Social Welfare and Development had made ready P25.41 million worth of relief supplies in areas along Dodong's path.

Casualties

As of 6 a.m. Friday, the NDRRMC said the death toll from Dodong remained at two, including 10-year-old Mark Daniel Ken Mateo of Batangas City; and Alejandra Mortel, 56, of San Agustin town in the island province of Romblon.

The NDRRMC said Dodong also affected 167 families or 499 people from Batangas City.

In Metro Manila, a family of five was evacuated from Laura Drive in Bagumbayan in Taguig City due to floods.

The Taguig City disaster risk reduction and management council also requested a water pump to flush out the water in the area.

Meanwhile, weather conditions improved in Metro Manila on Friday, allowing the military to conduct a dress rehearsal at Luneta Park in Manila for Sunday’s celebration of the 113th Independence Day.

The soldiers conducted their rehearsal as early as before 7 a.m., radio dzBB’s Carlo Mateo reported.

GMA news

Philippines searches for 26 fishermen missing after storm

By Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Friday, June 10, 2011

Manila - Philippine Navy and Coast Guard vessels launched search and rescue operations Friday for 26 fishermen who went missing amid bad weather that left at least five people dead.

The fishermen went out to sea Tuesday despite heavy rains and strong waves and have not returned to their hometown in the north-western province of Pangasinan since then, the Office of Civil Defence said.

The agency said stormy weather had prevented authorities from immediately looking for the missing fishermen.

At least 13 provinces and the capital, Manila, were inundated after days of heavy rains brought by a low pressure area and a tropical depression.

More than 170,000 residents have been affected by the floods in six southern provinces since last week, the agency said.

The tropical depression, which has developed into a storm, has left the country and was moving toward Taiwan, forecasters said.

Monters and Critics

26 missing fishermen rescued off Bolinao in Pangasinan

By Philippine News Agency
Interaksyon, Friday, June 10, 2011

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan - All the 26 fishermen earlier reported as missing when their fishing vessel sank on June 9 in the south China Sea were rescued Friday morning.

The crewmen of FV 3M Wolf, owned by Lucy Caranay of Masinloc, Zambales, were rescued by the combined Philippine Navy and Coast Guard at about 9:00 a.m. Friday.

This was based on the report relayed to the Police Provincial Office here by Wilfredo Castelo, Municipal Administrator of Bolinao town.

Also rescued were six other fishermen on board two light boats that were used as back ups of FV 3M Wolf when it was returning to the port of Bolinao. There were three fishermen in each boat, which drifted till they landed in two separate areas of Pangasinan.

One of the back up boats landed at 9:00 p.m. on June 9 at the Arena Point in Agno town and the other in Guiguiwanen, Bolinao, where the vessels were heading.

FV 3M Wolf was returning to Bolinao from a fishing expedition in the south China Sea when it met tropical depression "Dodong" while it was exiting in Pangasinan, causing it to sink 30 miles northwest of Bolinao.

A report of the Coast Guard said that at about 3:00 p.m. of June 9, the captain of the vessel, Dominiano Centeno, called them up and informed that their vessel was already sinking and was asking for rescue.

Rodrigo Caranay, operating manager of FV 3M Wolf, called on the Navy and Coast Guard for the immediate rescue of their vessels' crewmen.
The navy and coast guard mobilized their nearest floating assets with the aid of a helicopter in conducting immediate search and rescue operations.

interaksyon.com

Storm 'Dodong' kills 2 more, 27 fishermen missing

By Angelo L Guiterrez
Philippine Star, Friday, June 10, 2011

MANILA, Philippines - Two more persons have been confirmed killed and 27 fishermen remained missing today as tropical storm "Dodong" started to exit the Philippines.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) identified in its 6 a.m. report today the fatalities as 10-year-old Mark Daniel Ken Mateo of Batangas City, whose body was recovered 1 p.m. yesterday and Alejandra Mortel, 56 of Sitio Kabangan, Barangay Carmen, San Agustin town in Romblon.

Reports yesterday said three people in North Cotabato also died due to drowning.

The NDRRMC added in its report that 26 fishermen on board a boat were reported missing. It said that the boat was returning to Bolinao in Pangasinan when they were hit by strong waves.

The agency said that the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) immediately formed search and rescue teams after being informed of the missing boat, but could not launch an operation because of the bad weather condition yesterday. It said that the search and rescue teams will be deployed as soon as the sea calms down.

The NDRRMC said a Navy boat and a helicopter from the PCG will be deployed today to look for the missing fishermen.

Another fisherman identified as Marcel Baroga was also reported missing after a sea mishap involving a barge loaded with soya beans in waters off Sariaya, Quezon.

In a separate report, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said that "Dodong" intensified into a storm as it started to exit the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).

PAGASA said that as of 4 a.m., the storm was located 280 kilometers west northwest of Dagupan City or 300 kilometers west southwest of Laoag City.

It was packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 80 kph. It was moving north northwest at a speed of 15 kph.

The weather bureau said that the storm may be already out of the PAR by noon today.

Public storm warning signals raised in Metro Manila, Bataan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Pangasinan and Cavite have already been lifted.

philstar.com

Navy, Coast Guard rescue 26 fishermen off Pangasinan –NDRRMC

By The National Broadcasting Network, Friday, June 10, 2011

The 26 crew members of a fishing vessel who were reported missing off Bolinao, Pangasinan have been rescued a few kilometers away from the shorelines of the province by joint elements of the Philippine Navy (PN) and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Friday.

NDRRMC Executive Director Benito Ramos said they were very thankful the fishermen were found alive by navy and coast guard elements aboard rescue helicopters.

Ramos said the 26 fishermen, whose names were not immediately available, were on board a 45-ton vessel named "FB 3MS WOF" when they were reported missing at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Bolinao, Pangasinan.

Meanwhile, Ramos also said all evacuees in areas affected by tropical depression “Dodong” in Maguindanao, Cotabato, Batangas and Bataan provinces have returned to their homes after floods in their areas had subsided.

A report by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) to NDRRMC in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City said "Dodong" intensified into a storm as it exited the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) by 12:30 p.m. on Friday. (PNA)

NBN

Phl navy, coast guard rescues 26 lost fishermen

By Joel Catencio, Friday, June 10, 2011

MANILA, Philippines - The 26 missing fishermen have been found alive and floating with their life vests a few kilometers away from the shorelines of Pangasinan by the Philippine Navy (PN) and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), disaster authorities said.

National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director Undersecretary Benito Ramos said they are very thankful the fishermen on board a 45 tonner vessel named FB 3MS WOF were found alive by navymen and coast guard elements aboard rescue helicopters.

Ramos said the 26 fishermen, whose names were not available, were on board a boat were reported missing 6:30 p.m. in Bolinao, Pangasinan. He said they were hit by strong waves while on their way to Spratly Islands to do fishing.

He also said all evacuees in affected areas by Tropical Depression “Dodong” in the provinces of Maguindanao, Batangas, Bataan, Cotabato have returned to their homes after floods have subsided.

Ramos said there is minimal damage in areas where “Dodong” passed through Thursday.

In a report by Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) to NDRRMC in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City said "Dodong" has intensified into a storm as it exited of the of the Philippine area of responsibility PAR by 12:30 p.m. on Friday

All Voices

Philippine Navy spot 26 missing fishermen, rescue ongoing

By Xinhua, Friday, June 10, 2011

Navy and Coast Guard ships have been deployed in the northern coastal province of Pangasinan to rescue 26 Filipino fishermen who were earlier reported missing due to a tropical depression after venturing into fishing in the South China Sea, officials said Friday.

"It's ongoing," National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive officer Benito Ramos said of the rescue mission, "Our ships from the Navy and Coast are on the way."

Ramos said the last radio contact with the fishermen's fishing boat was 3 p.m Thursday, about three and a half hours before its expected arrival in Pangasinan. Ramos surmised the boat's radio bogged down or the ship sank.

"There's a progress on the (incident)...Aircraft pilots spotted the 26 floating," said Ramos, adding a helicopter spotted the fishermen before 11 a.m. Friday west of Anda town, Pangasinan.

"My understanding is that since they (pilots) were not able to see the boat, it probably sank. They saw them (fishermen) in orange life vests. We just don't know how many of the 26 are alive," he said.

Xinhua.net

26 fishermen missing off Pangasinan

By Sunnex, June 10, 2011, Friday

PANGASINAN (Updated 9:57 a.m.) -- The national disaster council on Friday said 26 fishermen went missing after venturing into the Spratly’s area.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the fishing boat F/B 3MS WOF owned by Leo Caranay may have encountered stormy seas on Thursday afternoon.

"Said vessel ventured out into the sea on June 7, 2011 and stayed in the vicinity of the Spratly’s island to fish and they were believed to be returning back to Bolinao (Pangasinan) when the incident happened," the NDRRMC said.

On Thursday afternoon, Pangasinan was placed under storm signal number 1 due to Tropical Depression Dodong, which intensified into tropical storm Friday.

The NDRRMC said the Office of the Civil Defense in Ilocos Region coordinated with the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) for possible search operation.

However, due to bad weather condition, the operation was not possible as of late Thursday.

It added, once the sea will calm down, rescue boat of PCG and the Philippine Navy will proceed to the area immediately.

Sun Star Pangasinan