29 missing in sea mishaps

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) yesterday began the search for 29 people who went missing in two separate maritime accidents over the weekend.

The Coast Guard launched search and rescue operations for a domestic cargo ship with 17 crewmen that disappeared after encountering big waves and reporting engine trouble in Marinduque.

The Coast Guard is also searching for 12 people who went missing after the motorized banca they were riding capsized off San Miguel Island in Albay last Thursday.

Crewmen aboard the 498-ton SF Freighter radioed the ship’s owner, Henden Chua of Seaford Shipping, on Saturday to report the problems but shortly after all contact was lost, PCG chief Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said.

The ship owner launched an initial search near the ship’s last known location off Dos Hermanas Island in Marinduque and contacted the Coast Guard, Tamayo said.

A PCG plane spotted a lone ship yesterday in waters off Marinduque but bad weather forced the plane to turn back before it could identify the vessel.

Tamayo said another attempt would be made when the weather clears.

Passing ships and coastal communities have been told to be on the look out for the steel-hulled ship, which was en route to Manila from Cebu carrying a cargo of steel bars when it went missing.

The Coast Guard in Albay, meanwhile, said they are still searching for the 12 teachers that went missing after their motorized banca capsized off San Miguel Island.

Bicol Coast Guard commander Elson Hermogino said they were informed by Adonis Collantes, a teacher of Fatima Elementary School, that his colleagues went missing after boarding a banca going to Barangay Maliktag in San Miguel Island. - Helen Flores, Pete Laude, Celso Amo, Juancho Mahusay, AP