MANILA — In an effort to find four fishermen from Lian who were reported missing in the waters around Occidental Mindoro, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has stepped up its air and sea search efforts.

The PCG said that on Sunday, February 9, their substation in Lian got the complaint about the fisherman who were on board MJ2, a green and red motorbanca, being missing.

Around 4:00 p.m., the fishermen are said to have left Lian, Batangas. moving toward the waters close to Lubang Island and Ambil Island on Saturday. It was anticipated that they will return by 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, but haven’t been accessible since.

All of the missing fisherman live in Lian’s Barangay Luyahan.

To find the fishermen, the PCG’s BN Islander 251 aircraft has been flying aerial sweeps around the Ambil and Lubang Islands.

In order to aid in the search, they also called in residents, other nearby vessels, and a number of Coast Guard posts. They also sent out radio broadcasts to other vessels to promptly report any sightings of the missing boat.

Coastal security patrols are being conducted by Coast Guard Mobile Posts in Agkawayan and Talaotalao, the Marine Environmental Protection Enforcement Response Team, and Coast Guard Substations in Lian, Nasugbu, and Lubang.

Additionally, BRP Cabra, a 44-meter multi-role reaction vessel, has been sent in to support surface search efforts.

All fishing boats and commercial vessels passing close to Lubang Island have received radio broadcasts from the PCG asking them to report any sightings of the missing fishermen aboard motorbanca MJ2 right away.

Geronimo Tuvilla, Commander of Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog, stated, ” Our teams are working tirelessly across air, sea, and land to bring our fishermen home. The PCG is utilizing every available resource and maintaining close coordination with local maritime communities to ensure a wide surveillance network.”

Additionally, the PCG asked locals to help with the ongoing search operations.