Filipino seaman rescued by Japanese Coast Guard, vessel still missing

September 3, 2020

A Filipino seaman was rescued by the Japanese Coast Guard after a Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel made a distress call on Wednesday from Amami Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday.

The vessel is reportedly carrying 43 crew members, 39 of whom are Filipinos. The Japanese Coast Guard sent patrol boats and airplanes to conduct the search for the missing vessel, which is still ongoing.

The Consulate General in Osaka is monitoring the situation and coordinating with the Japanese Coast Guard, which is launching a second search and rescue mission prior to an expected incoming typhoon.

The DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs (OUMWA) and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Osaka are in close coordination with Korpil Ship Management and Manning Corp., the local manning agency, in ascertaining the condition of the Filipino seafarers.