NDRRMC Executive Director Benito Ramos said the MV Josille II went down three hours after it left the port of Liminancong in Palawan for El Nido. A Navy gunboat and the Coast Guard’s BRP Ilocos Norte took part in rescuing the passengers and recovering the dead.
The incident happened amid warnings from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration that a shallow low pressure area in southern Mindanao and the southwest monsoon affecting Luzon would cause bad weather in most parts of the country.
In other related incidents the Coast Guard reported that one fisherman died while 81others were rescued in separate sinking incidents in General Santos City and Saranggani and Cavite provinces. They were aboard fishing boats which were swamped by strong waves. As of press time, the Coast Guard was searching for the 13 missing fishermen.
The NDRRMC also reported flashfloods in Bukidnon, Sarangani, and Sultan Kudarat killed two people while 41 others, including 24-year-old man who was found clinging to a coconut tree, were rescued.
In Bukidnon, 50 families were evacuated to safer grounds when flashfloods hit barangays Cabangahan, Bangkud, Aglayan and Linabo in Malaybalay City around 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Earlier, a flashflood swept through Barangay Bugcaon in Lantapan town, damaging a bridge and water barriers in Dalaingan creek.
In Sarangani, two people were confirmed killed in flashflood that hit Big Margus, Pangyan, and Cross in Glan town around 6:45 a.m. Tuesday. A 15-year-old boy remained missing, while a total of 40 residents were rescued.
An Army report said the shallow low pressure area in Southern Mindanao triggered the floods in Sarangani, which prompted the Disaster Relief and Rescue Units (DRRU) and Glan Municipal Police Station to conduct rescue and relief operations to victims. In Sultan Kudarat, 2,469 people were affected by the flashfloods that hit barangays Obial, Sta. Clara, Hinalaan and Himulan in Kalamansig town. Twenty-three families had to abandon their homes.
Heavy rains yesterday forced the cancellation of a flight between Manila and Busuanga in Palawan. The Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s (NAIA) Media Affairs Division reported that two Cebu Pacific flights were cancelled.
