China, Korea, and Taiwan will be joining the search and rescue operations for 36 overseas Filipino seafarers who remain missing in the East China Sea.
Secretary Silvestre Bello III disclosed that the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) wrote a letter to the embassies of the said countries last week in hopes of expanding the search operations.
The three countries have expressed readiness to provide assistance in their response this week. They also notified that they have started searching their coastal areas near the East China Sea even before the Philippine Embassy requested for help.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Japanese Coast Guard are currently discussing the possibility of the Philippines sending its own rescue team.
Bello previously said the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Japan is in close coordination with Japanese authorities on the matter. – Report from Louisa Erispe
