Surigao City authorities monitor sunken vessel off Balibayon coast

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — The Surigao City government, through its City Environment and Natural Resources Office (City ENRO), is closely monitoring a sunken vessel off Barangay Balibayon.

It is also coordinating with national agencies amid concerns over possible the environmental impact of the incident, the Surigao City Public Information Office said.

The vessel, identified as MV John Roger, ran aground on December 16, 2021 after being battered by Super Typhoon Odette.

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In January 2024, the Barangay Local Government Unit of Balibayon declared the grounded vessel a navigation hazard through a resolution.

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This move prompted the city government to coordinate with the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) regarding its status.

MARINA later confirmed the vessel’s ownership and reported a pending Show Cause Order in January 2024.

In February, the City ENRO, together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), conducted water quality sampling, which showed no evidence of an oil spill.

Regular monitoring of the site continued from March 2024 to March 2025.

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In May 2025, the city called for a coordination meeting with MARINA and the PCG, during which authorities said a PCG-accredited Salvor would undertake a recovery operation.

The salvage attempt, conducted on May 29 and 30, 2025, was not successful.

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The PCG later informed the city on June 16, 2025, that the operation had failed and that the LGU would be notified of any succeeding attempts.

However, the city said it was not informed in advance of the salvage operation, limiting its participation in the process.

On June 25, 2026, City ENRO received reports that the vessel had sunk. An aerial monitoring operation confirmed that the ship had submerged about 600 meters from its original location.

The city immediately coordinated with the PCG, which committed to the monitoring of the situation.

Following reports of a possible oil spill, City ENRO conducted water quality sampling on Sunday, July 5.

During validation, fishermen from Balibayon said the vessel may have actually sunk earlier, on May 19, 2026.

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As of this reporting, the city government said it is prioritizing environmental monitoring while awaiting laboratory results from water samples taken at the site. /apl