Marina, PCG probe Iloilo-Guimaras tragedy

MANILA, Philippines — An inter-agency body has been created to investigate the boat sinking incidents that occurred in the waters between Iloilo and Guimaras on Saturday.

The panel will be composed of personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard and Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), Capt. Armand Balilo, spokesman for the PCG, said yesterday.

“These incidents tell us we should revisit our protocol in the area. We should adapt to the changing weather pattern. That is part of the investigation, they would recommend changes,” Balilo told journalists.

In a statement, the Marina said its investigation coordination team (ICT) will monitor the search and rescue operation and provide assistance to the investigating institutions.

President Duterte will be in Guimaras today to pay his last respects to the victims and condole with the families.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said the President would likely provide financial assistance to the families.

Pending investigation, Marina suspended operations of all passenger motorboats serving the Iloilo-Guimaras route. It deployed two roll-on, roll-off vessels to serve passengers affected by the tragedy. 

Balilo said the search and rescue operations continue as the weather is improving.

Sen. Grace Poe said it’s time for the country to create the National Transportation Safety Board to make land, air and sea travel safer.

Poe said investigators should immediately determine where the liability lies in the boat sinking incidents.

Travel warning

The tragedy prompted the government of the United Kingdom to warn its citizens against traveling by sea in the Philippines.

In an advisory issued on Monday, the UK government urged its citizens to avoid travel on ferries and passenger boats if possible, particularly during the rainy season.

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office noted that passenger boats “are often overloaded, may lack necessary lifesaving equipment or be inadequately maintained and have incomplete passenger manifests.”

“Storms can develop quickly and maritime rescue services in the Philippines may be limited,” it said.

Guimaras Vice Gov. John Edward Gando said the advisory could affect the image of the tourism industry.

Very rough seas

Weather forecasters said rough to very rough seas would continue to prevail in many parts of the country due to severe Tropical Storm Hanna and the southwest monsoon.

As of 11 a.m. yesterday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) issued a gale warning over the eastern coast of Albay, Aurora, Bataan, Batangas, Cagayan, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Isabela, Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Pangasinan, Romblon, Sorsogon and Zambales as well as Masbate, including Ticao and Burias, and Quezon province including Polillo Island. 

Small sea vessels are prohibited from sailing in these areas as waves are expected to be 4.5 meters high. 

A similar warning was also hoisted in parts of the Visayas and Mindanao.

Hanna, which is expected to intensify into a typhoon within the next two days, continued to move slowly over the Philippine Sea.

As of 3 p.m. yesterday, the center of Hanna was located at 780 kilometers east of Calayan, Cagayan with maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 125 kph. 

Hanna was moving north-northwest at 10 kph. It was expected to bring scattered rains and thunderstorms over Cagayan Valley in the next 24 hours.

Monsoon rains will still prevail over Bataan, Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Western Visayas and Zambales. 

Cloudy skies with rainshowers and thunderstorms due to the southwest monsoon will persist over Metro Manila, the Cordilleras, Bicol region, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), and the rest of Central Luzon and the Visayas.

The rest of the country may have isolated rains due to localized thunderstorms. 

Weather specialist Benison Estareja said PAGASA might raise tropical cyclone wind signal No. 1 over extreme Northern Luzon should Hanna retain its strength as it moves north toward Taiwan.

Hanna is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility on Friday.

PAGASA is also monitoring a low-pressure area over the West Philippine Sea and a tropical depression east of Northern Luzon.

As of 3 p.m., the low-pressure area was spotted at 310 km west of Iba, Zambales. It was “less likely” to develop into a tropical depression, PAGASA said.

Although slightly, the water level in Angat Dam in Bulacan rose due to rains brought by Hanna and the southwest monsoon.

The provincial disaster office said the dam’s water level yesterday morning was at 169.30 meters from 168.53 meters the previous day.

The figure is 10.70 meters below the dam’s minimum operating level of 180 meters and 42.7 meters below its high normal water level of 212 meters.

Meanwhile, the water level in Ipo Dam, also in Bulacan, dropped to 100.73 meters yesterday from 100.93 meters on Monday.  – Helen Flores, Evelyn Macairan, Christina Mendez, Jennifer Rendon, Paolo Romero, Ramon Efren Lazaro