Bulletin: On the Missing Panamanian-flagged Vessel in Japan

PASAY CITY 03 September 2020 — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), through the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo and the Philippine Consulate General in Osaka, confirms reports of a Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel which made a distress call on 02 September 2020 from Amami Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture.

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

So far, one Filipino was reported to have been rescued by the Japanese Coast Guard.

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 the 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. END