ZAMBOANGA CITY (July 21) — A wooden-hulled vessel carrying nearly 2,000 sacks of rice intended for families in need was safely rescued after suffering engine failure while sailing toward Pandami town in Sulu province.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the vessel, M/L Super Inn, was found in distress near Tiyumbal Island off Pandami on Saturday afternoon.
Coast Guard Station-Western Sulu commander Al-Hafidz Bih said the Coast Guard Sub-Station-Siasi launched a search and rescue operation after receiving a distress call from skipper Almujib Asula.
Asula reported that the vessel’s engine had failed while it was traveling from Maimbung town to Pandami.
“The vessel was transporting about 1,900 sacks of rice intended as relief assistance for the municipality of Pandami,” Bih said in a report released Sunday.
The skipper dropped anchor while waiting for help, preventing the vessel from drifting into danger amid strong sea currents that could have caused it to run aground or list.
The Coast Guard rescue team then coordinated with the owner of another vessel, M/L Fatima Sharifa-1, to tow the disabled vessel safely toward Pandami.
The rescue ensured that the relief shipment—and the much-needed rice it carried—could continue its journey to the municipality.
For residents awaiting assistance, the successful rescue meant that a vital food supply was kept safe at sea and brought closer to the communities it was meant to serve.
The incident also highlighted the challenges of transporting relief supplies across Sulu’s waters, where strong currents and mechanical problems can quickly put both vessels and their cargo at risk.
