Philippines Caritas Occidental Mindoro commends bravery of rescuers in capsized vessel
Philippines Caritas Occidental Mindoro commended the bravery of rescuers of the vessel MV Hong Hai 16, which capsized on April 15 off the waters of Rizal town.
“We commend the bravery and dedication of the rescuers, divers, and volunteers who continue their difficult mission despite the challenges,” said the social action arm of the Catholic Church in a statement.
On April 22, the Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog (CGDSTL), in partnership with the municipal government, in a ceremony, recognized the heroism of local fishers who rescued 14 crew members of the vessel in the waters under the jurisdiction of Barangay (village) Malawaan.
As of April 20, the Philippine Coast Guard confirmed nine fatalities, with two crew members still unaccounted for. The vessel had 25 crew members on board, a mix of Filipino and Chinese nationals, at the time of the accident.
The carrier, which was loaded with dredged sand, was carrying around 2,000 liters of lube oil and 30,000 liters of automotive diesel oil.
The recognition ceremony was led by the mayor of Rizal, Ernesto Pablo; Commodore Geronimo Tuvilla, commander of the CGDSTL; and Lieutenant Junior Grade Keneth Bongabong, incident commander.
Certificates of appreciation were awarded and attended by the relatives of the fishers, representatives from the local government unit (LGU), and partner agencies who participated in the operation.
Tuvilla shared the initiative of the Philippine Coast Guard in recommending that said fishers be appointed as members of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary so that they can be first responders in their communities.
Pablo was also given a Certificate of Recognition for the LGU of Rizal's quick response to the survivors' needs and ongoing support for the operation.
Pablo thanked the PCG for being the bridge for an organized and effective operation. He also paid tribute to each Coast Guard responder for their dedication, concern, and demonstration of the spirit of bayanihan.
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