Navy rescues 62 from troubled ship

By Bong Garcia

Sun Star, Tuesday, August 30, 2011

NAVY personnel rescued 67 passengers and crew of a wooden-hull vessel drifting lifelessly off Tawi-Tawi province on Thursday, an official said.

Commodore Armando Guzman, Naval Forces Western Mindanao's (NFWM) Task Force 62 commander, said M/L Virginia was four hours "dead on water" before rescue teams arrived.

He said the vessel was bound for Tawi-Tawi's capital of Bongao when its engine conked out. The vessel crew made the distress call 4-8 nautical miles off pangasinan, Simunul,Tawi-Tawi.

After receiving the distress call, NFWM dispatched Patrol Ship-19 (PS-19) to conduct search and rescue operation, Guzman said.

M/L Virginia was listing on its left side and passengers were anxiously waiting for help when the PS-19 arrived, he said.

Crewmembers said M/L Virginia's main engine incurred technical problem after t he vessel left Sipangkot Island, Guzman said.

He said the PS-19 personnel led by Commander Ernesto Baldovino immediately rendered necessary assistance to the vessel particularly on the basic needs of the passengers.

Guzman said the PS-19 towed M/L Virginia and arrived safely at Lamion Pier in Bongao municipality.

Of the rescued 60 passengers, 28 were male adult, 20 female adult, five male children and seven female children, Guzman said.

www.sunstar.com.ph

Navy, cops intercept tanbark shipment in Zambo City

Zamboanga Times, Friday, June 10, 2011

Philippine Navy operatives backed by policemen intercepted Wednesday a shipment of a truckload of tanbark at a private pier in this city, a Navy official announced Thursday.

Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) chief Commodore Armando Guzman said the confiscated tanbark was just unloaded from a vessel, M/L Marwiza, which docked at Wee Bin wharf in Barangay Baliwasan.

Guzman said the truck, which was about to leave the private port, was loaded with 310 sacks of tanbark.
“The tanbark is to be delivered to an undetermined warehouse somewhere in this city which is now being located by the joint Navy and Police operatives,” he said.
He said the harvesting of tanbark has been outlawed in the Philippines since this tree bark when removed kills the mangrove trees.

Mangrove trees are important to the environment since they provide many diverse species of birds, mammals, crustacea, and fish a unique irreplaceable habitat.
Guzman disclosed that tanbark is commonly smuggled to Malaysia and Indonesia and is highly valued as a source of organic dye used in making batik cloth.

zamboangatimes.ph

Tanbark shipment caught

By Bong Garcia, Thursday, June 9, 2011

OPERATIVES of the Philippine Navy intercepted Wednesday a shipment of a truckload of tanbark in a private pier in Zamboanga City.

Naval Forces Western Mindanao chief Commodore Armando Guzman said the confiscated tanbark was just unloaded from a vessel, M/L Marwiza, which docked at Wee Bin wharf in the village of Baliwasan, west of the city.

Guzman said the truck, which was about to leave the private port, was loaded with 310 sacks of tanbark.

Harvesting of tanbark has been outlawed in the Philippines because its bark when removed kills mangrove trees, said Guzman.

Mangrove trees provide irreplaceable habitat to diverse species of birds, mammals, crustacea, and fish.

Guzman added that tanbarks are commonly smuggled to Malaysia and Indonesia and are highly valued as a source of organic dye used in making batik cloth.

Sun Star Zamboanga