DESPITE the recovery of six bodies in recent days, authorities remain hopeful as the search for missing passengers of the motorbanca (MBCA) Amejara enters its ninth day.
Commodore Philipps Soria, commander of the Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao (CGDSEM), told TIMES on Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 27, that the mission remains a search and rescue (SAR) operation rather than a retrieval effort.
The decision follows a significant breakthrough on Monday, Jan. 26, when teams discovered a life ring marked “AMEJARA” in a new search area.
“Although there have been signs of survivors or bodies recovered, we found a life ring yesterday with the marking ‘AMEJARA.’ We will continue with SAR efforts and have not yet shifted to recovery or termination,” the Commodore added.
The lifebuoy was spotted in what search teams are now calling “Sector 5,” located near Maitum.
When asked if the indicator suggested survivors might have reached land rather than remaining at sea, Soria remained cautious.
“We cannot be certain, which is why we are concentrating our SAR efforts in Sector 5,” he added, noting that the team remains hopeful of finding survivors.
When asked if the search area would be extended if nothing is found today, Commodore Soria said: “Hopefully [we will find something]. We are waiting for tomorrow’s generated SAROPS [Search and Rescue Optimal Planning System] for the [new] SAR area.”
“We will likely get that tonight after we consider all parameters,” he added.
Naval and air assets deployed
The Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao (NFEM) is currently pivoting its operations based on the latest findings.
While five cadavers have been recovered so far—four found 63 nautical miles southwest of Balut Island and one near Kiamba, Sarangani—the search has now shifted to a sector 84 nautical miles southwest of Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat.
This new search zone was designated by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) XI.
NFEM, in coordination with the Tactical Operations Wing Eastern Mindanao (TOW-EM) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), continues to deploy both naval vessels and air assets to the region.
