A roll-on/roll-off passenger ship ran aground off Concepcion, Iloilo past Tuesday midnight, August 9.
MV Filipinas Cebu, operated by Cokaliong Shipping Lines, departed from Iloilo at 7:14 p.m. Saturday bound for Cebu. However, it was grounded in the vicinity waters between Igbon Island and Agho Island at 12:08 a.m., prompting crew members to call for help.
“The cause of the maritime incident is still under investigation,” the PCG said.
Personnel of the PCG Sub-Station Concepcion arrived at the grounding site around 4:30 a.m. to check on the condition of the passengers and crew, the PCG noted.
The vessel’s skipper, Captain Alexander Wahing, 57, told the responding Coast Guard personnel that all 223 passengers and 38 crew onboard were safe and free from injury.
The PCG then directed BRP Panglao (FPB-2402), a Boracay-class fast patrol boat, to assist in the evacuation of the passengers and crew members.
They were augmented by a fast boat deployed by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) with two Coast Guard Special Operations unit (SOU) personnel onboard and personnel from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of Concepcion.
MV Nasipit, a sister vessel of the grounded ship, also departed from Maasin, Leyte to provide assistance in the operation.
“According to the shipping company, the passengers of MV Filipinas Cebu will be safely transferred to MV Nasipit to reach their destination,” the PCG said.
Meanwhile, the PCG said no trace of oil spill was found by members of its Marine Environmental Protection Unit (MEPU) after an assessment.
The PCG District Western Visayas continued to monitor MV Filipinas Cebu’s situation to ensure the safety and security of the passengers and crew.