NATION

40 Filipinos aboard bulk carrier in collision with Chinese fishing boat off Singapore

Lisa Marie Apacible · Sep 24, 2026, 12:41 PM

(FILES) This handout photo taken on 3 June 2023 by the US Navy shows the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon observing the Chinese PLA Navy vessel Luyang III (top) while on a transit through the Taiwan Strait with the Royal Canadian Navy's HMCS Montreal. — Andre T. Richard / US NAVY / AFP

Forty Filipino seafarers were aboard a Panama-flagged bulk carrier when it collided with a Chinese fishing vessel near the Singapore Strait on Sept. 17, with Philippine authorities saying no injuries among the Filipino crew had been reported.

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said it had identified all 40 Filipino crew members aboard the First Margaux, a bulk carrier about 750 feet long, and was coordinating with their families and the vessel’s manning agency.

“Rest assured, we have identified all the 40 Filipino seafarers by name and then we are reaching out to all of their families, as we confirm kung ano ang status nila sa ngayon but there have been no reports as of this stage na merong nasaktan,” DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said.

The collision involved the much smaller Chinese fishing vessel, which was seen in video footage taking on water and nearly tipping onto its side as crew members scrambled to hold on to the railings.

No injuries were reported in the incident, according to the DMW.

It remains unclear whether there were Filipino seafarers aboard the Chinese vessel. Video footage from the fishing boat appeared to capture a person speaking in Ilokano, but the DMW has yet to confirm the identity or nationality of anyone aboard.

The agency said it was coordinating with the manning agency of the Filipino crew and maritime authorities of the countries involved.

“We are reaching out to the families and we will assist the seafarers and the families and of course the number one priority there is to bring them home,” Cacdac said.

A Reuters report said ship-tracking data showed that the routes of the two vessels overlapped at the time of the incident.

The collision comes amid continuing concerns over the safety of Filipino seafarers working in areas affected by maritime security incidents. The DMW has said that about 500 Filipino seafarers aboard 35 vessels were exposed to attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in the deaths of at least four Filipino seafarers.