Naga City fishermen rescued in Bohol

Two fishermen from Naga City were fished out of the waters of Tubigon town in the neighboring province of Bohol after their motor banca capsized at around 5 a.m. on Wednesday.

Sulfecio Sasan, 44, and Jae Pugoy, 43, were lucky to have survived after hanging on to their capsized banca for at least five hours.

Sasan is from Sitio Seaside in Barangay North Poblacion while Pugoy is from Barangay Tuyan.

Rolito Patigayon, Naga City Coast Guard substation deputy commander, said that the two went out to fish at about 5 a.m. on Wednesday.

The duo was fishing barely a kilometer away from the shorelines of the neighboring city of Talisay when strong current and wind caused their banca to capsize.

Patigayon said the two were clinging to their banca while they were being carried by strong water current to the coastal waters of the neighboring province of Bohol.

He said the two were rescued by another fisherman from Minglanilla town at about 10 a.m. at the vicinity of Bokabok and Bagong Banwa Island located about three nautical miles away from Tubigon town.

The fisherman, who was only identified as a certain Ker-ker of Barangay Tulay in Minglanilla town, was also fishing in the area then.

Patigayon is asking fishermen not risk their safety while the gale warning is still in effect.

Pagasa’s 5 p.m. weather advisory show that strong winds continue to affect the coasts of Cebu, from Santander town the province’s southern tip to Daanbantayan island on its northern tip including Mactan Island and Olango Islet as a result of the northeast monsoon.

Waves in these areas are expected to be “rough to very rough” with a wave height of 3.4 to 4.5 meters making it unsafe for fishing boats and small seacrafts, said the Pagasa advisory.

Weather is partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers while wind velocity is estimate from 52 to 63 kph.

Patigayon said that what happened to Sasan and Pugoy should serve as a lesson to other fishermen who are planning to go out into sea despite the bad weather.

“We already gave an advisory to fishermen from Talisay City, Naga City, Minglanilla, San Fernando and Carcar City not to go out and fish because of the gale warning,” he said. But there are still those who ignore their warnings, he added.