Foreign vessel catches fire near Recto Bank

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) yesterday helped rescue 25 crewmembers of a vehicle carrier vessel that caught fire near Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea.

PCG spokesman Capt. Armand Balilo said they immediately sent a team from BRP Cabra to the area to aid in rescue and firefighting operations after receiving information about the mishap at around 1 p.m.

Balilo said the Panamanian MV Diamond Highway was en route from Singapore to Batangas when it caught fire, forcing its crew to abandon ship. They were all rescued with the help of another carrier Canopus Leader bound for Thailand from Singapore.

The PCG official said they sent men to the area after receiving report from the owner of the distressed vessel, local firm K-Line Shipping.

Balilo said they have yet to investigate the incident to determine the cause of the fire, as firefighting operation was still ongoing as of yesterday afternoon.

Meanwhile, an administration lawmaker yesterday called on the national government to provide with satellite phones and global positioning system (GPS) trackers – even on staggered basis – Filipino fishermen making a living in the West Philippine Sea.

Rep. Alfred Vargas of Quezon City, who sits as vice chairman of the House of Representatives’ appropriations committee and a member of the committee on national defense and security said the problem about funding could be solved.

“It is for the safety at sea of Filipino fishermen, maritime commuters and crews,” the reelected congressman said. He is one of the authors of Republic Act 11321 instituting the Farmers and Fisherfolk Enterprise Development Program of the Department of Agriculture.

“To cushion the budgetary impact, the procurement can be gradual with priority to the western Luzon provinces, Mindoro, Palawan, Bicol and eastern Visayas because these are the regions most often hit by storms and monsoon rains,” Vargas suggested.

He likewise proposed mandatory installation of satellite phones and GPS on “all Philippine fishing boats and passenger ships” where “transponders for search and rescue, automatic identification and other related portable electronics” can also be attached.

Fishermen can make use of these equipment and seek help when they are in distress.

Records from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources show there are about 7,000 fishing vessels, about half of which are small fishing boats.

Maritime Industry Authority, for its part, has in its record 81,000 fishing vessels, over 49,000 passenger ships and at least 89 boat builders.

“The bigger ships can bear the cost of acquiring the search and safety devices, but the small fishermen are the ones who need government’s help the most,” Vargas, principal author of House Bill 5480 creating the Philippine Transportation Safety Board, said.

“The needed fisheries and maritime laws are in place. The BFAR and Marina can require these devices by administrative order,” he said.

As for the small fishermen, Vargas said the Agriculture Department and Cooperative Development Authority can source funds from their regular appropriations. “Additional financing could come from the Development Bank of the Philippines,” he said.

“Since boats consume fuel, the TRAIN law has a provision which allows the national government to create new safety net programs,” Vargas added. –  Delon Porcalla