A CARGO vessel, loaded with steel bars, went missing off Marinduque sea, a radio report said Sunday.
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Armand Balilo said the vessel was carrying 17 crew members.
PCG commandant Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said a freighter from Cebu to Manila was reportedly missing since Saturday in parts of Dos Hermanas Islands.
Tamayo immediately ordered search and rescue operations on the missing vessel and its crew members.
Three vessels and an aircraft were deployed by the PCG for the rescue operations.
Meanwhile, a vessel from the PCG is currently rescuing a foreign vessel after the agency received a distress call Saturday.
Tamayo said the vessel, carrying 18 crew, came from China heading towards Indonesia. (Sunnex)