Eighty-five persons onboard a roll on/roll off vessel that ran aground off Lanao del Norte have been rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the agency said on Friday, April 21.

(Photo by Philippine Coast Guard)

The PCG said MV Filipinas Cebu was stranded after running aground at Maigo Point around 6 p.m. last April 20.

The PCG deployed a search and rescue (SAR) team along with personnel from its Marine Environmental Protection Unit (MEPU) to respond to the incident and conduct an oil spill assessment.

Luckily, all 85 persons onboard the ro-ro were saved, including five babies. They were transferred to a tugboat and brought to safety.

MV Filipinas Cebu, which is owned by Cokaliong Shipping Lines, came from Lanao del Norte and was enroute to Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental when the accident occurred.

Meanwhile, the PCG said that the assessment of the MEPU yielded a negative result for the presence of oil sheen, which means that there was no oil spill.

Despite this, the PCG still installed oil spill booms within the vicinity of the stranded vessel as a precautionary measure. 

Last year, MV Filipinas Cebu also ran aground in the vicinity waters between Igbon Island and Agho Island in Concepcion, Iloilo after its helmsman fell asleep while steering the vessel.