
A potential grim maritime accident was averted this Holy Week thanks to the quick response of Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel who rescued 506 passengers from a passenger ship that ran aground off Jagna Port in Bohol.
In a statement Monday, April 21, Commodore Weniel Azcuna, commander of Coast Guard District Central Visayas (CGDCV), said MV Lite Ferry 5 was maneuvering at the Jagna Port for departure en route to Cagayan de Oro on Black Saturday, April 19, when it drifted into shallow waters due to low tide, approximately 200 meters from the port.
A concerned citizen alerted personnel of the Coast Guard Sub-Station Jagna about the situation and responders were immediately deployed to evacuate the passengers.
Luckily, all passengers were safely returned to port by dawn on Easter Sunday, April 20, with no reported injuries.
Aside from the PCG, personnel of the Philippine Navy (PN), Jagna Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), Bantay Dagat, and local fisherfolk assisted in the operation.
“Initial inspections revealed no internal hull damage, but a full marine safety and environmental assessment is underway,” Azcuna said.
Meanwhile, a tugboat from Cebu was deployed to extract the vessel from its current position.