GLAN, Sarangani Province — A humanitarian mission carrying relief supplies for earthquake-stricken communities in Southern Mindanao narrowly avoided tragedy after a yacht transporting 42 volunteers and missionaries caught fire at sea on Friday, June 12, forcing an emergency evacuation and resulting in the loss of hundreds of thousands of pesos worth of aid.
The vessel, owned by Adventist-laymen’s Services & Industries (ASI) President Edsel Lim, was en route to deliver humanitarian assistance to residents affected by recent earthquakes in Margus Dako, Sarangani Province, and Balangonan in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental, when thick smoke suddenly began billowing from the yacht.
According to reports, crew members noticed the smoke at around 11:30 a.m., prompting an immediate evacuation of all passengers aboard.
Videos shared on the official Seventh-day Adventist Church-Southeastern Philippines Facebook page showed the dramatic rescue operation as volunteers hurriedly transferred from the burning vessel to a smaller boat while flames engulfed the yacht.
Despite the terrifying ordeal, all 42 passengers—including missionaries, church workers, and humanitarian volunteers—were safely rescued and transported to safety.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed that it responded to the maritime emergency after receiving reports that the yacht had caught fire in the waters near Barangay Small Margus, Glan, Sarangani Province, at approximately 10:25 a.m.
In an incident report, the PCG said the vessel was carrying relief supplies intended for communities affected by recent earthquakes when the fire broke out while the yacht was underway.
PCG Spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said all passengers and crew members were successfully rescued through the combined efforts of Coast Guard responders and nearby fishermen who immediately came to the aid of those onboard.
“The crew members and passengers were safely transported ashore, and no casualties have been reported,” Cayabyab said.
The rescued volunteers were initially brought to coastal communities in Glan, where medical personnel conducted assessments. Authorities confirmed that no injuries were reported.
Relief Supplies Lost to Fire
While the successful rescue of all passengers brought relief to mission organizers, the fire destroyed most of the humanitarian cargo intended for earthquake victims.
Mission leaders estimated that only about five percent of the relief supplies were salvaged from the vessel before it was consumed by flames.
Pastor Nildo Mamac, president of the Southern Mindanao Mission, expressed gratitude that no lives were lost despite the significant material losses.
“The safety of our volunteers remains our greatest blessing,” Mamac said. “Material things can be replaced, but lives cannot.”
The incident dealt a major setback to ongoing relief operations in remote communities that remain difficult to reach following a series of strong earthquakes that damaged infrastructure and rendered several major roads impassable.
Church leaders explained that sea transportation had become the most practical option for delivering urgently needed assistance to isolated villages cut off by damaged road networks.
Fishermen Hailed as Heroes
Among those aboard was Atty. Edsel Deris, who later shared details of the incident through a social media post.
According to Deris, the yacht was carrying approximately ₱400,000 worth of relief goods intended for residents of Barangays E. Alegado, Small Margus, and Big Margus in Glan when the fire erupted around 10 a.m., only a few kilometers from shore.
“When we were a few kilometers from the shore of Small Margus, fire broke out and we saved very little of the goods,” Deris said.
She credited local fishermen for playing a critical role in rescuing those aboard.
“The fishermen nearby came to rescue us and we will forever be grateful. We are all safe and unharmed,” she wrote.
The humanitarian worker also reflected on the emotional toll of the incident, revealing that the yacht fire came shortly after the loss of her husband.
“I am almost devastated because I just lost my husband and another tragedy happened. But I still say that God is good all the time for sustaining us, for life is more important than material things,” she said.
Mission to Continue Despite Setback
Despite losing most of the relief cargo and experiencing a traumatic ordeal at sea, church leaders and volunteers vowed to continue their humanitarian mission.
Deris said the organization still has more than a hundred bottles of drinking water and around 200 sacks of rice awaiting repacking for future distribution. She added that donations and support from sponsors continue to arrive.
“Our missionary work shall continue,” she said. “Just allow us to let our trauma subside a little and we will resume our missionary work.”
She also thanked fellow ASI officers, pastors, missionaries, donors, and church organizations for their support and understanding following the incident.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard continues to coordinate with local authorities as investigators work to determine the cause of the fire.
As communities across Southern Mindanao continue to recover from the recent destructive earthquakes, the incident serves as a reminder of the risks faced by humanitarian workers who often venture into difficult and dangerous conditions to bring aid to disaster-stricken areas.
For the volunteers aboard the ill-fated yacht, however, the mission remains far from over. Though much of the cargo was lost to the flames, the commitment to serve survivors of the earthquake remains intact—strengthened by gratitude for the lives spared and the communities that came to their rescue.