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ZAMBALES, Philippines — The four-day search for a pregnant Aeta woman ended in tragedy after rescuers recovered her body from Mapanuepe Lake in San Marcelino, Zambales, on Sunday, August 30, 2026.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) identified the victim as Arryn Paanan Liwanag, 26. Authorities recovered her body at around 11:20 a.m.
Liwanag was the final passenger who remained missing after a motorized boat carrying 13 members of an Aeta community capsized near the Sunken Church in Barangay Buhawen on August 27.
Her recovery brought the confirmed death toll to nine. Meanwhile, four passengers survived the accident.
Group Attended Vaccination Program and 4Ps Meeting
The passengers came from an Aeta community in Sitio Lumibao, located across Mapanuepe Lake from the main section of Barangay Buhawen.
Residents of the community regularly use boats to cross the lake and reach the village proper.
Before the accident, the group traveled to Barangay Buhawen to attend a vaccination program and a meeting related to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
They were already returning home to Sitio Lumibao when the tragedy occurred.
According to reports, the boat encountered strong winds and rough waters while crossing the lake. It eventually capsized, throwing the passengers into the water.
Four Passengers Survived
There were 13 people aboard the boat when it capsized.
Four passengers survived, while six people were initially confirmed dead. Three others remained missing immediately after the accident.
Those missing passengers were Liwanag and two children.
Authorities and local responders then launched search and retrieval operations across Mapanuepe Lake. However, difficult weather conditions repeatedly disrupted their work.
Heavy rain and strong winds forced responders to temporarily suspend operations several times.
Despite those difficulties, search teams continued whenever conditions allowed.
Bodies of Two Children Recovered
The search produced another tragic development on Saturday, August 29.
Authorities recovered the bodies of Chandnea Serrano Dela Cruz, 3, and Anqelito Serrano Liwanag, 8 from the lake.
A resident first spotted the body of the three-year-old while traveling through the area.
Police later returned to the location with a boatman. They subsequently found the second child nearby.
Their recovery raised the death toll to eight and left Liwanag as the final missing passenger.
Four-Day Search Ends
Search teams continued looking for Liwanag on Sunday.
At approximately 11:20 a.m., rescuers finally recovered her body from Mapanuepe Lake.
The PCG confirmed the recovery, ending a search that had lasted four days.
With Liwanag found, authorities have now accounted for everyone who was aboard the boat.
Of the 13 passengers, nine died and four survived.
The victims included several children as well as adult members of the Aeta community.
Responders Faced Difficult Weather
The recovery operation was particularly difficult because of changing weather conditions around the lake.
Responders encountered rain, strong winds, and rough water during several stages of the search.
As a result, authorities sometimes had to halt operations to protect rescue personnel.
The Philippine Coast Guard, municipal disaster response personnel, police, firefighters, and other agencies participated in the operation.
Despite repeated interruptions, the teams continued searching until all passengers were accounted for.
Questions Surround Cause of Capsizing
Strong winds and rough waters were reported when the boat capsized.
However, earlier reports also mentioned possible overloading as another factor being considered in connection with the accident.
Therefore, it would be premature to describe overloading as the confirmed cause without a final finding from authorities.
What has been established is that the passengers encountered difficult conditions while returning to their community.
The incident occurred near the Sunken Church area of Mapanuepe Lake in Barangay Buhawen.
Aeta Community Relies on Lake Crossing
The tragedy also highlighted the transportation challenges faced by residents of Sitio Lumibao.
Their community is located across Mapanuepe Lake from the main part of Barangay Buhawen. Consequently, residents need to cross the lake by boat to access facilities and services in the village proper.
On August 27, the passengers had made that journey for government-related activities.
They attended a vaccination program and a 4Ps meeting before beginning their trip home.
However, the return journey ended in one of the area’s deadliest recent boat incidents.
All 13 Passengers Now Accounted For
Liwanag’s recovery officially concluded the search for the missing passengers.
Authorities have now accounted for all 13 people aboard the motorized boat.
Nine died, including children, while four survived.
The incident has brought renewed attention to the risks faced by communities that depend on small boats for daily transportation.
For the affected families and the Aeta community in Sitio Lumibao, however, the tragedy has already resulted in a devastating loss.
