The Philippine Coast Guard rescued eight crew members of a motorized cargo boat after it sank in waters off Dalupiri Island in Calayan, Cagayan, on Saturday, Philstar.com reported.
According to the outlet, the rescued crew included the vessel's captain and three people who were suffering from hypertension. The boat was identified as M/B Rose Marie 1.
Five of the crew were first taken to Barangay Magsidel and then brought to the Calayan Rural Health Unit, where medical staff found them to be in good physical condition, Philstar.com reported.
Why it matters
The sinking was one of two maritime incidents over the weekend that drew action from national regulators, putting attention on safety compliance in Philippine waters during a period of rough weather. The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) suspended the safety certificate of the sunken cargo boat, and a separate suspension was issued for a passenger fast craft involved in an incident in Bohol, according to Philstar.com.
The twin cases prompted Marina's operations office to order tighter monitoring of vessels across the country, the outlet reported.
Rough seas and shifting livestock blamed in initial findings
An initial investigation indicated that heavy sea conditions combined with the movement of livestock aboard the boat caused it to capsize, Philstar.com reported, citing the Coast Guard. The agency did not provide further detail on how the animals' movement contributed to the sinking.
The Coast Guard said the rescue operation took place over the weekend after the vessel went under near Dalupiri Island, which lies in the Babuyan group of islands north of mainland Cagayan.
Regulator suspends certificates, orders wider inspections
Philstar.com reported that Marina suspended the safety certificate of M/B Rose Marie I along with that of MV Ocean Jet 788, the fast craft involved in the Bohol incident.
According to the outlet, Ocean Jet 788 was preparing to dock at Tagbilaran port when an electrical failure disabled the remote control for its bridge engine and its throttle system, leaving the vessel unable to maneuver properly.
Loumer Bernabe, Marina's deputy administrator for operations, directed the agency's regional offices to step up compliance monitoring, onboard inspections and enforcement nationwide, Philstar.com reported.
Coverage of the suspensions also appeared in Inquirer.net, BusinessWorld Online, GMA Network and astig.ph, which reported that the Department of Transportation barred OceanJet 788 and the Cagayan cargo boat from operating following Saturday's incidents.
What to watch
Watch for the outcome of Marina's inspections and any formal findings on the cause of the Cagayan sinking, along with whether the suspensions of the two vessels are lifted.
