BY AQUILES Z. ZONIO
An estimated 396 crewmembers of six fishing companies based in General Santos City remained missing as of Thursday afternoon.
Fishing magnate Marfin Tan, former president of Socsksargen Federation of Fishing & Allied Industries, Inc. (SFFAII), told Edge Davao that they came up with such figures during their meeting on Thursday morning.
“Fishing operators met and we came up with such figures as of Thursday afternoon,” Tan said.
Tan bared that during their meeting, owners of six fishing companies based in Gensan reported that a total of 11 mother boats, two carrier boats and 27 light boats remained missing as of this date.
“The owners of these six fishing companies absolutely have no contact with their boats,” Tan added.
According to Tan, a mother boat usually has 30 crewmembers, a carrier boat has five to six passengers and a light boat is manned by two persons.
“Based on these figures, we came up with an estimate that at least 396 fishing crew of six fishing companies here remained missing,” Tan said.
Tan identified the fishing firms with missing crewmembers as Rogela Fishing (2 mother boats, 5 light boats and 1 carrier boat missing), RMG Fishing (3 mother boats and 9 light boats), Raffy, Inc. (1 mother boat missing), DCG Fishing (1 mother boat confirmed to have sank with 8 crew members missing, one dead and 3 injured), LPS Fishing (3 mother boats and 12 light boats missing) and Trinity Fishing (1 mother boat, 1 carrier boat and 1 light boat missing).
Tan claimed that all these missing fishing vessels are operating in the high seas off Mati, Davao Oriental.
“Affected fishing operators are closely coordinating with the Philippine Coast Guard in region 11 hoping to find and rescue all the missing fishing crewmembers,” Tan said.
Meanwhile, a certain Renato Licayan, a fisherman from Tamba, Mati Oriental, was rescued by the crewmembers of LPS Fishing early Thursday morning while on their way home to Gensan.
Licayan was totally naked and almost exhausted when he was rescued by the LPS Fishing crew.
He was brought here where he was clothed, as well as, given food and first aid treatment by the city social welfare office.
Licayan narrated between sobs that he and his two other colleagues – Dino Matugas and Rowelan Para of Malapatan, Sarangani – were on their way back to Mati when Typhoon Pablo caught up with them.
“Strong wind and giant wave smashed our boat. My two other colleagues failed to survive. I personally saw how the raging wave gobbled them up but I’m helpless,” Licayan said.
He said that upon hearing on transistor radio that there’s a typhoon coming, they tried to rush back to Mati.
“On our way back, typhoon caught up with us,” he said.
