BFAR Vessel BRP Datu Magat Salamat Runs Aground at Hasa-Hasa (Half Moon) Shoal During Fuel Subsidy Mission, Refloated by PCG

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel BRP Datu Magat Salamat ran aground in the shallow waters of Hasa-Hasa (Half Moon) Shoal on September 17, 2026 while approaching a cluster of 15 to 20 Filipino fishing bancas to distribute fuel subsidies under the government's Kaagapay ng Bawat Mangingisda (KBBM) program. The fishing boats tried to tow the grounded vessel free but failed due to the morning low tide and their limited pulling power. The Philippine Coast Guard dispatched BRP Malabrigo from Buliluyan Port in Bataraza, Palawan, which arrived around noon, laid out a 600-meter towing line, and pulled the BFAR vessel free at approximately 3:34 p.m. No Chinese forces were involved in the grounding; the incident preceded by one day a China Coast Guard ramming of the same vessel near Abad Santos Shoal on September 18.