TRAGEDY AT PANGUIL BAY - Search, rescue and retrieval team from Tambulig town, Zamboanga del Sur retrieved four bodies after a pump boat capsized late Saturday, May 31, 2025 in Panguil Bay. (Tambulig MDRRMO photo)
TheMindanaoToday.com | Four dead after banca capsizes in Panguil Bay
By: Uriel Quilinguing
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – What could have been a joyful boat ride for 13 family members—most of them young kids–turned tragic late Saturday afternoon.
Within 15 hours, four bodies were retrieved after a pump boat, they were riding on turned upside down past 4 pm that day, May 31, in Panguil Bay off the coast of Tambulig town, Zamboanga del Sur.
The single-cylinder engine-powered wooden boat was manned by a 12-year-old boy when the seacraft’s machine conked out. Floating adrift for a while, all those aboard were thrown out to sea when the seacraft was overturned by a surge of strong waves.
Nilo Muńoz, head of Tambulig Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Manament Office (MDRRMO), said the outrigger banca was headed for Barangay Bocator, Tangub City from Barangay Balas, Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur when the tragedy happened.
Tambulig MDRRO identified those drowned as Donabelle Fuentes Dela Cruz, 39; Devina Fuentes Aligaya, 37, and sons Earthjan, 9, and Andre, 3. The survivors are Reymar Belarmino Dela Cruz, 50; Eunice Fuentes Dela Cruz, 19, and seven others surnamed Dela Cruz, Aligaya, and Fuentes whose ages range from 5 to 17 years old.
The weather agency’s advisory issued late Saturday, May 31, warned of light to moderate rains over Zamboanga Peninsula.
Muńoz said their search, rescue and retrieval team (SRRT) team found the bodies of Donabelle and Devina past 6 pm and that of Andre about 11 pm of Saturday. About 7 am the next day, their search ended with Earthjan’s body that was stucked on a gillnet was pulled out.
He said they brought the first two recovered bodies to a hospital in Bonifacio town, Misamis Oriental but attending physician declared them dead on arrival.
Traversing Panguil Bay, a rich fishing ground whose waters range from 15 to 50 feet in depth, the 13 victims wished to drop by a family-owned fish-cage, before heading for home to Barangay Bocator of Tangub City, sadly four of them did not make it. [Uriel Quilinguing/MT]
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