A Taiwanese vessel was rescued in the vicinity waters of Ilocos Sur, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday, Dec. 13.
Based on PCG's report, the foreign vessel, identified as Sheng Feng No. 12, allegedly collided with a suspected Bangladeshi-flagged bulk carrier in the vicinity off Candon, Ilocos Sur, at around 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 12.
The alleged bulk carrier was traveling from Changshu, China, to Muara Berau, Indonesia, when the maritime incident occurred.
PCG said the Taiwanese Coast Guard has already coordinated with them.
"Taiwan Coast Guard Attaché, Commander Arthur Yang, coordinated the collision with the PCG Command Center, leading to the immediate deployment of BRP Malapascua (MRRV-4403) to assist the Taiwanese fishing vessel," it said.
"Commander Yang said SHENG FENG NO. 12 needs portable pumps to draw out seawater as it incurred damages at its bow. At around 10 AM, its location was monitored at 11 nautical miles off Vigan City," the PCG added.
In cooperation with the owner of SHENG FENG NO. 12, the PCG and Taiwan Coast Guard advised sailing to the closest port in the Northern Philippines to assess the ship's condition and guarantee the safety of its five Indonesian and two Taiwanese crew members.