SAN MARCELINO, Zambales (August 28, 2026) — Braving a stormy weather, search teams continue to scour the murky waters of Lake Mapanuepe in Barangay Buhawen to find the remains of three persons believed to have drowned when their boat capsized here on Thursday, August 27.

Six persons so far have been confirmed dead in the tragedy, while four others survived, authorities said.

The Zambales Provincial Police Office (ZPPO) said on Friday, August 28, that the fatalities were three Aeta adults and three children who were among the 13 passengers aboard the banca.

The tragic accident reportedly occurred while the group was heading for home at Sitio Lumibao in Buhawen after attending a 4Ps meeting and getting vaccine shots at the Buhawen Barangay Center.

The ZPPO said a search, rescue and retrieval operation was conducted by a composite team from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and the San Marcelino Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) following a call for help from Buhawen Barangay Chairman Eduardo Dueñas after the incident.

However, after six bodies were retrieved, rescue and recovery efforts were temporarily discontinued at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday due to inclement weather, the ZPPO added.

The search for the missing residents resumed early today, August 28, with a team from the Philippine Red Cross in Olongapo City and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority’s Fire & Rescue Team combing the area near the sunken Saint Barbara Chapel, a remnant of the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991.

Still, heavy rains from previous days made the lake water murky and prevented deep-water search maneuvers, rescuers said.

Meanwhile, the ZPPO also said the motorboat operator has been detained at the San Marcelino Police Station for possible filing of charges for reckless imprudence, as authorities believed the tragic banca was overloaded when it sank.

Lake Mapanuepe, which has become a popularly known as the “New Zealand of Zambales” because of its surrounding open grassland and mountain backdrop, also had a tragic history.

Continuous lahar flow after the 1991 volcanic eruption dammed the exit point of the Mapanuepe River on the valley and formed the lake, submerging in the process the low-lying area of Buhawen where most of the houses and community facilities of the former mining community were located.

Today, the chapel steeple with a large metal cross mounted atop it is the only visible sign that a community once thrived under the lake’s surface. – Taktikom News & Features