Philippines ferry survivors found

The search for landslide survivors has become a search for bodies

Twenty people have been rescued from a ferry which sank in the Philippines - but 55 others are still missing.

Officials said the survivors were found by a cargo ship in rough waters off the western island of Palawan.

President Gloria Arroyo, meanwhile, has flown to the central province of Leyte, where more than 150 people were killed in mudslides at the weekend.

Bad weather has hampered rescue efforts, and correspondents say the focus is now on recovering bodies.

The areas affected by mudslides were the islands of Leyte, Panaon, Mindanao and Boho

Mrs Arroyo planned to visit survivors and relatives of the victims during a one-day trip to the region, and was due to attend the mass burial of victims in the town of San Francisco on Panaon island.

Rescuers say they have dug up the bodies of entire families.

The bodies of a family of five - mother, father and children aged five, 12 and 14 - were shown on television, lying in the mud and rain of their collapsed house in Liloan on Leyte.

The mudslides have been blamed on a combination of heavy rain and illegal logging.

Sunken ferry

About 100,000 people have been displaced by the disaster, and the BBC's John McLean in the Philippines' capital, Manila, says the authorities are struggling to feed and shelter them amid the persistent rain.

The ferry disaster, which happened in rough seas in the south-west of the country on Sunday, has added to the country's problems as it prepares to celebrate Christmas.

The 63-ton Piary sank about 100 km (60 miles) away from its destination - Brookes Point on Palawan island.

A Panamanian-registered cargo ship picked up 20 survivors from waters between the Philippine island of Balabac and the Malaysian island of Bangui.

The ferry, which vanished after rough seas smashed a hole in its side, was reported to be carrying 68 passengers and seven crew.

There was no word on the more than 50 people still missing.

Ferries are the chief means of transport between remote islands in the western and southern Philippines.

Many vessels are poorly maintained and are not equipped with safety gear, analysts say.

The country has a history of shipping disasters, including the sinking of a ferry near Manila in May, which killed 25.