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earchers scouring the areas near Sibuyan Island where the MV Princess of the Stars capsized have reported seeing 115 bodies floating near the province of Camarines Sur and Burias Island in Masbate.
A television report aired Wednesday night quoted a Philippine transportation official who said that the figure of 115 bodies was different from the 115 figure reported Tuesday.
"As of 9:30 p.m. today, we have sightings of 115 bodies somewhere in the vicinity between Burias Island and Camarines Sur and 15 bodies in the bridge level of the sunken vessel," Transportation undersecretary for Maritime Transport Elena Bautista said.
She was referring to the bridge section of the ill-fated MV Princess of the Stars which capsized off Sibuyan Island near Romblon where divers saw 15 bodies trapped.
"I'd like to stress that these are sightings and we still have to retrieve the actual bodies,"Bautista, who was interviewed over QTV's News on Q, added.
Of the 115 spotted near Camarines and Burias, seven have been recovered while only five were retrieved out of the 15 bodies trapped inside the MV Princess of the Stars bridge.
Bautista, who is also the head of Task Force 'Princess of Stars,' also said that authorities were still not sure if the 115 bodies spotted Wednesday came from the capsized ship.
Of the 115 bodies - all from the MV Princess of the Stars - recovered on Tuesday, 48 were survivors while 67 were fatalities.
An earlier report said that most of the bodies spotted Wednesday was based on sightings made by US planes which have been scouring the area for survivors.
The death toll of Typhoon Frank - based on National Disaster Coordinating Committee' latest data - was pegged at 288 people killed, 45 missing and another 165 injured.
Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza said some 135 fishing vessels from Regions 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11 sank at the height of typhoon Frank.
The sinking of the vessels resulted in the deaths of 10 fishermen and the rescue of 128 people.
However, another 137 seamen are still reported missing.
A ship which got caught in the typhoon - the MV Lake of Paoay - was carrying some 5,000 metric tons of coal from Semirara island to Toledo in Cebu City when it sank of the coasts of Carles in Iloilo.
Of its 30 passengers, four survivors were rescued but 19 others remain missing.
Presidential assistant for Western Visayas Raul Barias said Carles residents have expressed concern over the oil that started to leak from the sunken cargo vessel.
Barias said they are monitoring the developments closely as they prepare for clearing operations.
For her part, President Arroyo ordered the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) to conduct a "systematic needs assessment" and to properly coordinate it with the United Nations following the expected downpour of aid from the international community.
Arroyo issued the directive during a video conference with members of the Cabinet and NDCC who were in Malacañang around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday in Manila.
The President said foreign leaders have already started to pledge aid.
She cited the offer of Hawaii governor Linda Lingle to send the National Guard stationed in Hawaii to help in search and rescue operations, and the offer of Spain which "has come forward and presented itself to help the country in its search and rescue efforts".
"You have to do the Needs Assessment systematically and apprise the different countries, knowing their respective capabilities," she said.
She added that there was a need for the country to inform international donors of specific requirements "to facilitate the immediate deployment of the respective country's pledge of aid".
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