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

Cargo ship rescues 24 Filipino fishermen

Philippine Star, Friday, June 10, 2011

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - A transiting cargo ship on Friday rescued 24 Filipino fishermen whose ship sank off the northern Philippine province of Pangasinan after venturing into fishing in the South China Sea at the height of a tropical depression, an official of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said.

Andrew Alex Uy, a regional director of the OCD, said MV Sea Palace picked up the 24 fishermen, not 26 as previously reported by another official, upon coordination by a Philippine Navy islander plane tasked to conduct an aerial search.

Uy said the fishermen went on fishing aboard the F/B 3MS Wolf. On their way back to Pangasinan yesterday afternoon, the fishing boat lost radio contact, prompting the search.

Earlier, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council executive officer and OCD administrator Benito Ramos said the fishermen were numbering 26.

At around 12 noon Friday, Uy said, a Navy aircraft spotted the fishermen floating in the water with their life jackets 70.4 kilometers northwest of Bolinao town, Pangasinan province.

The aircraft then spotted the transiting cargo vessel.

"The Navy established communication, it coordinated with the MV Sea Palace to pick up the victims and ferry them..All of them are alive and were rescued," said Uy, adding the cargo ship was due to arrive at Bolinao 4:30 p.m Friday.

philstar.com