Thirty-nine fishermen on board 14 boats returned safely ashore hours after authorities declared they were missing, local media reported Monday.

But Chief Superintendent Roberto Damian, Cagayan Valley regional police director, said one fisherman and three fishing vessels remain missing.

These boats left the port of Claveria town in Cagayan province at around 4 a.m. local time (2000 GMT Sunday night) to Pagudpud town of Ilocos Norte province but were forced to return due to bad weather.

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