Three Filipino fishers welcome rescue after drifting off the coast of Southern Taiwan in this photo released by the Taiwan coast guard.
CLARK FREEPORT – Three Filipino fishermen who were rescued by Taiwan’s coast guard last July 21 arrived at the Clark International Airport here at about 6 a.m. yesterday on board an AirAsia flight from Taiwan.
Carlito Marquez, administrative assistant of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) based in Taiwan, said fishermen Ronald Dumaran, Edwin Zoilo and Gener Mendoza looked “okay” when he and two members of his staff fetched them from the airport here.
“They arrived with small bags containing old clothes donated by Filipinos in Taiwan where they stayed in the Catholic Stella Maris Center,” he said.
He also said that MECO and the Department of Foreign Affairs have been coordinating with Taiwan authorities for the repatriation of the remains of another Filipino fisherman, Larry Salingbuhay, whose body was already decomposed when found belatedly by Taiwan coast guard members. The body of another fishermen has remained missing, he added.
“Hopefully, the cremated remains would be brought back to his family in Sta. Ana, Cagayan by this Friday,” Marquez said.
He also said MECO has provided their airplane fare from Taiwan and also gave them some cash for their allowance and land transport fare to their hometowns in Iba, Zambales and Sta. Ana in Cagayan.
The rescued fishermen were supposed to be brought to the house of the owner of the fishing boats residing in Paranaque City from where they were expected to meet with their boss before they finally go back to their families in the provinces.
“We have already informed their families who are expected to welcome them in their hometowns,” Marquez said.
The fishermen were on two boats that sailed last July 15 from Cagayan near Port Irene in Northern Luzon.
On July 17, big waves wrought by tropical storm Cimaron caught up with them and destroyed their boat which drifted for five days some 80 nautical miles off Kaohsiung port in southern Taiwan before they were rescued.
The rescue came amid controversies spawned last May when a Philippine fisheries patrol vessel manned by the Philippine Coast Guard shot at a Taiwanese fishing boat near Balintang Channel in northern Philippines, killing a Taiwanese fisherman.
The incident triggered protests in Taiwan against the killing.
