President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to immediately assist the victims of a public transport vessel sinking in Basilan waters on Monday, amid ongoing rescue operations. 
 
“Sa ngayon ay kung anuman ang nangyari dito sa ferry accident, ang DSWD ay inutusan na ng Pangulo para mabigyan ng karampatang tulong ang ating mga kababayan na naapektuhan nito at nabiktima sa nasabing incident,” Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a Palace press briefing.
 
The passenger-cargo roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessel M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 carrying 332 passengers and 27 crew members, sank around 1:50 a.m. near Baluk-Baluk Island in Basilan while en route to Jolo, Sulu, leaving several people dead and missing.
 
Castro said the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is conducting rescue operations while investigating the cause of the incident.
 
“Nakausap natin mismo ang Philippine Coast Guard at sila ay nananatili na malaman kung ang mga sasakyan, ‘yung vessel ay mas maraming pasahero na sinasakay at kung sila ba ay lumalabag sa alituntunin ng batas, para sa proteksyon ng ating mga mananakay at mga pasahero,” Castro added. 

The DSWD reported that prepositioned ready-to-eat food boxes were already distributed to the rescued passengers and crew members at the Isabela City Port through close coordination with the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) of Isabela City, Basilan.
 
The Quick Response Team of the DSWD Field Office 9 – Zamboanga Peninsula also conducted profiling and assessment of the passengers to identify other needs.