All 51 passengers and crew members of the sunken pump boat MB Ningning were rescued after the vessel capsized off Olango Island in Lapu-Lapu City on Tuesday morning, February 25, 2025.
Nagiel Bañacia, head of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office in Lapu-Lapu City, confirmed that the survivors had returned home after receiving post-search and rescue assistance at Olango Mini City Hall.
Among those rescued were a 2-year-old child and a 75-year-old senior citizen, as well as SK officials and elderly individuals who had attended a party in Barangay Caubian and were on their way back to Olango Island in Barangay Caw-oy.
Initial investigations revealed that the pump boat had a maximum capacity of only 20 passengers but was overloaded with 51 people, causing the vessel to become unstable and take in seawater.
Strong winds and rough waves further complicated the situation, sweeping passengers into open waters and making rescue operations more challenging for Lapu-Lapu rescuers, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and lifeguards.