30 rescued after tourist boat sinks off Manicani Island, Guiuan

TACLOBAN CITY — Thirty passengers were rescued after a tourist boat carrying them from mainland Guiuan to Manicani Island in Eastern Samar submerged off Barangay Buenavista on Sunday, Aug. 30, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported.

The passengers were rescued by local fisherfolk with assistance from tugboats MTUG Don Antonio Two and MTUG Joshmar III after the passenger motorbanca, identified as MBCA Vemstac 3, began taking in seawater at 10:50 a.m.

The PCG said the boat departed mainland Guiuan at 10:30 a.m. carrying 30 passengers bound for Barangay Buenavista. When it reached waters about 0.76 nautical mile from the shoreline, seawater reportedly entered through the rear portion of the vessel, causing it to gradually take in water before sinking.

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Responding personnel from Coast Guard Station (CGS) South Eastern Samar, Coast Guard Sub-Station Guiuan, the Maritime Environmental Protection Unit-Eastern Samar and the Guiuan Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office arrived at the reported distress area at about 12:50 p.m.

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By then, all 30 passengers had been safely brought ashore and had returned to their respective homes. No deaths or injuries were reported.

READ: 9 breakwater workers safe after motorboat capsizes off Eastern Samar

The PCG and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office personnel later conducted surface monitoring in the area for possible oil or other pollutants from the submerged boat. No visible oil was observed on the water, although the vessel was reportedly carrying about 20 liters of diesel fuel.

The PCG also reported that the boat had departed mainland Guiuan without the required clearance from the agency.

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An initial inquiry with boat captain and owner Tito Abucejo showed that the vessel was originally registered as RBCA Jalexa Zanicus. The owner had initiated the process of changing its name to MBCA Vemstac, but the change had not yet been approved by the proper authorities.

The 14.5-meter fiberglass-hulled boat was built in 2024, has a gross tonnage of 3.86 and is powered by a Mitsubishi engine.

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The PCG advised Abucejo to fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation into the incident, including efforts to determine its cause, identify possible safety deficiencies and recommend measures to prevent similar maritime accidents.

Authorities are still verifying and consolidating the complete names and other details of the 30 passengers, who had already returned to their respective residences following the rescue. /mcm