Coast Guard: 8 rescued as 'colorum' motor boat capsizes off Batangas

Eight people, four of them children, were rescued off Batangas last Maundy Thursday after their unregistered (colorum) motor boat capsized after encountering big waves, the Philippine Coast Guard said Saturday. The Coast Guard said the incident involving the M/V Virgin Mary occurred off Sitio Bakasyunan in Barangay Simlong in Batangas at 8 a.m. Citing information from the Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog, it said big waves and strong winds battered the boat.   An initial investigation showed the M/V Virgin Mary left Barangay Simlong with the boat owner and his relatives aboard, and was heading to San Agustin Kanluran in Isla Verde, Batangas, when the accident happened. "The outrigger motor boat was unregistered," the Coast Guard said.   Crew members of a passing motor banca rescued the ill-fated boat's passengers, who were brought to Barangay Mabakong – all of them were unharmed. On the other hand, their capsized boat was towed to Barangay Simlong's shore for repairs. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard said several vehicles aboard a roll-on roll-off vessel were damaged after the vessel accidentally hit its sister ship in Sorsogon, also last Thursday. The 1,010-gross ton MV Don Benito Ambrocio hit its sister vessel while trying to dock at the Port of Balwhartico in Allen, Sorsogon at 7:30 p.m.  An investigation showed the engine became unresponsive and its transmission control malfunctioned, causing MV Don Benito Ambrocio to ram the astern portion ramp of its moored sister ship MV Mac Ryan, a 499.53-gross ton steel-hulled roro vessel. Both vessels belonged to Santa Clara Shipping. The impact caused a 1.5-meter horizontal crack at the aft ramp of MV Don Benito Ambrocio and slight damage on the headlight and side mirrors on some of the 18 cars in its cargo hold. No one among the 189 passengers and 22 crew members was reported hurt. — LBG, GMA News