ILOILO CITY – Nine of the 10 survivors of a deadly sea mishap have returned to the island town of Caluya in Antique.
“They have been ferried back to Caluya,” said Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-Western Visayas Regional Director Raul Fernandez on Friday, August 30.
SURVIVORS of two boats that sunk are ferried back to Caluya town, Antique province from San Jose town, Romblon province. (San Jose, Romblon LGU-PIO)
The survivors were passengers of the two ill-fated boats that capsized after leaving Boracay Island in Malay town, Aklan province on August 26.
Three of the 20 passengers died and seven remain missing.
Survivors who returned to Caluya were Jonald Patricio, Garry Patricio, Alvin Salodes, Jarenz Bernal, Luisa Ojano, Rhea de Vera, Arnold Teleryos, Joseph Teleryos, and Frederick Lompero.
They were rescued off the coast of San Jose town, Romblon province.
Their return was facilitated by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the San Jose local government unit (LGU).
Search and retrieval operations for the missing continue, Fernandez, chairman of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council-6, said.
Fernandez said that operations were impacted by inclement weather.
The Philippine Air Force and the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Maritime Group have been augmenting the PCG in retrieval operations.