Big waves and strong currents caused a motorized banca from San Andres town to capsize at sea off Caramoan, Camarines Sur last Jan. 3, 2026, leaving two fishermen dead and one survivor.
According to the incident report sent by the San Andres Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) to the PDRRMO, the incident occurred at 8:16 AM in the waters of sitio Lipata in barangay Gogon, Caramoran and involved an unregistered green motor banca.
Of the three fishermen on board, Jomar dela Cruz, 40, of Belmonte, San Andres, survived while the body of Andy Almonte, 53, of Divino Rostro, was ashore at the sitio.
The third man, Jose Cielo Sr., 57, also of Divino Rostro, remained until his body was found floating off sitio Lipata on Monday, Jan. 5.
The three fishermen reportedly left to catch fish at 11 AM of Jan. 2, just six hours before the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) issued a Gale Warning over the eastern seaboards of Southern Luzon, including the northern and eastern coasts of Catanduanes.
The next Gale Warning issued at 5 AM of Jan. 3 expanded the coverage to include the coastal areas of Camarines Sur, including Caramoan, forecasting winds of 48 to 71 kilometers per hours and rough to very rough seas with wave heights of 3,1 to 5.5 meters.
The same warning, issued over the northern and eastern coasts of Catanduanes, stated that sea travel is risky for small seacrafts, including all motor bancas of any type or tonnage, with mariners of these types of vessels advised to remain in port or seek safe harbor.
It may be recalled that in January 2025, nine fishermen from Pandan who left on board two motor bancas on New Year’s Day failed to return days later due to the effects of the shear line.
Two of them were residents of Balogñonan while the other seven were from Tabaco City, one of whom was found in a state of decomposition on the shore of Palumbanes island in barangay Toytoy, Caramoran on Jan. 13, 2025.