Ship that ran aground in Bantayan may have avoided fish cage

Passengers of M/V Filipinas Butuan, which ran aground within the vicinity of Bantayan Island on Oct. 23, 2023, being transferred to boats as part of rescue operations. | Photo courtesy of Philippine Coast Guard – 7

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Investigation has begun to shed light as to how a passenger roll-on-roll-off ship ran aground within the vicinity of Bantayan Island on Monday, October 23.

And initial findings from the Philippine Coast Guard in Central Visayas (PCG-7) showed that the vessel might have tried to avoid a fish cage while sailing the seas between northern Cebu and Iloilo.

READ: Passenger ship runs aground near Bantayan Island in Cebu

PCG-7, in an incident report, stated that the crew of M/V Filipinas Butuan of Cokaliong Shipping tried to avoid hitting a fish cage while sailing towards Iloilo on Monday dawn.

As a result, the ship drifted to the shallow parts of the seawaters off of Brgy. Koangkod in Madridejos, one of the three municipalities that make up Bantayan Island.

READ: Fisher says collision of their boat with commercial ship an accident

Marina starts probe

In the meantime, the Maritime Industry Authority in Central Visayas (Marina-7) has also started conducted its inspection on M/V Filipinas Butuan.

As a result, the agency has suspended the Ship Safety Certificate of the ship to give way for the inspection and investigation.

READ: Coast guard surveys ‘deliberate’ reef damage

250 ship passengers

M/V Filipinas Butuan carried close to 300 passengers and crew members when the accident occurred. The ship departed Pier 1 in Cebu City at 7 p.m. on Sunday, October 22.

It was supposed to arrive in Iloilo at 8 a.m. on Monday.

Coast Guard Commander Mark Larsen Mariano said they recorded no casualties due to the incident, and that all 250 passengers and 87 crew have been accounted for.

They were brought to Kota Park Resort in Madridejos where two Coast Guard vessels picked them up and transported them to Iloilo.

/dbs