Taiwanese fishing vessel Maan Shenq Fa No. 6 (CT3-3887) rescued two distressed Filipino fishermen whose small fishing boat drifted in the waters about 20 nautical miles north of Y’ami Island as it encountered an engine malfunction at around 5:00 pm on May 23.
The two Filipinos identified as brothers namely Mr. Gerald Alarcado, 29 years old, and Mr. Jenevis Alarcado, 28 years old, are residents of Batanes province.
The captain and crew members of Maan Shenq Fa No. 6 immediately rescued the fishermen and coordinated the situation with the Taiwan Fisheries Agency (TFA) and the Taiwan Coast Guard Administration (TCG).
Due to the rough sea conditions, the Taiwanese fishing vessel opted to transport the Filipinos to Taiwan and had them turned over to TCG cutter Weihsing (CG-102) docked in Kaohsiung Port to be assisted by officials from the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in coordination with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines (TECO) and TCG.
In the correspondence between TCG Attaché of TECO and the Philippine Coast Guard, Batanes Congressman Ciriaco B. Gato. Jr. conveyed his concerns and requested kind assistance from Taiwan for his constituents.
In 2018, 2019, and 2022, similar situations took place and were all successfully coordinated by both Taiwan and the Philippines through mutual efforts from the respective representative offices and coast guard agencies. In these kinds of circumstances, Taiwan is always ready and dedicated to lend a hand to its good neighbors and friends.
ABOARD TCG CUTTER WEIHSING (CG-102). Rescued Filipino fishermen Gerald Alarcado and Mr. Jenevis Alarcado (middle), together with representatives from Taiwan Coast Guard Administration (TCG) and the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO). Photo courtesy of TCG.
