PCG Revises MV June Aster Manifest Downward; 4 Listed Passengers Safe

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has revised the official passenger count of the ill-fated MV June Aster down to 128 persons, subsequently reducing the number of missing individuals to eight.

In a statement, PCG Spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab confirmed that four individuals listed on the ticket manifest never boarded the passenger-cargo vessel when it left Baseco Port on September 8. The discrepancy was cleared after the Emergency Operations Center located and physically verified the four individuals in Coron, Palawan.

According to Cayabyab, three of the passengers mistakenly booked a Manila-to-Coron route instead of their intended Coron-to-Manila trip. The fourth passenger booked an alternative ticket and safely reached Coron via another vessel three days prior to the incident on September 5. The MV June Aster later caught fire at sea on September 9.

As of September 16, 2026, the updated casualties and manifest figures are: Total Onboard are 128 (revised down from 132), 77 Fatalities, 43 Survivors, and 8 Missings.

Courtesy: Philippine Coast Guard