TACLOBAN CITY – The five fishermen from Maydolong, Eastern Samar who were reported missing during the onslaught of Typhoon “Opong” have safely returned home on Saturday, September 27, 2025, after being found by fellow fishermen.
The fishermen — Albert Tating, Birbie Calosar, Harold Cris Buenafe, Ricky Bajado, and Rembert Versoza, all residents of Barangay 4, Maydolong — were caught at sea by heavy rains and huge waves. To stay safe, they tied their boat to a ‘payao’ (fish aggregating device) to avoid drifting farther away until the weather improved.
“They stayed out at sea longer because they wanted to make sure they could safely return once conditions were better,” said Remegio Orale, head of the Maydolong Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO).
He added that poverty pushes some fishermen to risk going to sea despite storm warnings, as fishing is their only livelihood.
On Sunday, Sept.28, the five fishermen received assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 8, each receiving P10,000 in cash relief, along with two family food packs, hygiene kits, family kits, kitchen kits, and sleeping kits.
According to DSWD-8, at least 88,171 families or 295,598 individuals from 97 towns and cities across Eastern Visayas were affected by Typhoon “Opong,” which also damaged 451 houses — 1,800 of them partially. The agency has earmarked P139.5 million for relief assistance to affected families and individuals.
Orale confirmed that the five fishermen were the only ones reported missing in Maydolong during the storm.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
