A two-day air-and sea-borne search have found no trace of the fisherman from Baras who failed to come home as expected on Sept. 17, 2025.
Roberto Monterola of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) told the Tribune that two helicopters from the Philippine Air Force flew into the search area in the Pacific Ocean off Baras town where Joseph Gonzales, 40, a resident of Danao, was last seen on his motorized banca at 2 AM of Sept. 16.
He was wearing white and red TUPAD jacket while his banca was colored whie with red trim.
One of the helicopters lifted off from the Virac airport the next day and extended its search to the vicinity of Rapu-Rapu where the prevailing sea and wind would have carried a crippled banca.
Baras fishermen with knowledge of the traditional fishing grounds off the town reportedly accompanied pilots of the helicopters while personnel of the Baras Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) waited for news at the airport and at the municipal hall.
Both sorties did not spot any trace of the missing fisherman or his banca. Fishermen who went out during the same days also found no evidence of Gonzales and his boat on the generally calm sea and fair weather.
DRRM officials fear that the missing fisherman may no longer be found and could be counted as the 10th casualty of bad weather for 2025 in the waters around the island province.
It may be recalled that in January this year, nine fishermen from Pandan who went to their fishing ground on New Year’s Day failed to return days later due to the effects of the shear line.
The Pandan MDRRMO said at the time that the fishermen were on board two motorized bancas.
Two of them were residents of Balogñonan while the other seven were from Tabaco City.
On Jan. 13, 2025, one of the nine fishermen reported missing was found in a state of decomposition on the shore of Palumbanes island in barangay Toytoy, Caramoran.
Based on the tattoo on his arm, the dead man was identified by a relative through the Tabaco CDRRMO as Santino Bordeos, 18, a resident of Tabaco City.