About 30 Boholanos contacted the office of Sulpicio Lines to confirm that each of them had a relative who boarded the ill-fated Princess of the Stars, the flagship of the Cebu-based shipping company, that capsized Saturday off the seawaters of Burias Island in Romblon.
So far, at least 49 bodies- -32 males, 14 females and three children- -arrived Pier 6 in Cebu City on Friday morning and were transported to a funeral parlor downtown.
They were among the 849 people on board the ill-fated vessel where only 42 survived and the rest still missing.
Of the 849 on board, 724 were passengers, 117 were crew and four were sea marshals- -three Coast Guard personnel and one from the Philippine Navy.
Divers were only able to retrieve about 80 people, so far.
At height of the Typhoon Frank, many Boholanos are bound home for the upcoming fiesta celebration of Garcia-Hernandez, Loboc and Inabanga.
Some of the passengers of the ill-fated vessel were those who first booked with another vessel which trip was cancelled due to bad weather.
Some were believed to have been washed ashore alive and rescued by folks in the coastal communities.
Acting Governor Julius Herrera released to the Post last night a detailed list of Boholano passengers who boarded the vessel. Herrera could not confirm, though, who among those in the list that he obtained from the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council perished in the tragedy, who survived and who are still missing.
Based on the list, six residents of Hambongan Island were confirmed by Barangay Captain Elle, in addition to the 30 who were confirmed by relatives.
One prominent Boholano who was at the center of the tragic incident was the ship captain identified as Florencio Marimon Sr., 53., and a native of barangay Catagbacan, Loon.
Growing up in Loon where he finished high school, Marimon tried his luck in Cebu and went on to finish his nautical course at the Cebu Polytechnic School.
He was one of those listed as missing, and relatives in Loon feared that he was trapped among the scores of passengers in the sunken vessel.
In an interview, Teresita Marimon, a sister of the boat captain, said the family sought the help of a soothsayer if their brother is still alive or already dead. The soothsayer hinted that the boat captain went down with the vessel and therefore trapped among fellow casualties in the watery grave.
In the list that Herrera provided, nine were from Inabanga- -Lagura Bernanlita of barangay Mabuhay, 42, married; Daniel Estoria, 34 of barangay Suwa; Ulyses Jayson, 23, of barangay Dagohoy; and Elle’s six constituents who were Jemafelyn, Jesalyn and Alejandro Vitor; Roldan Lariosa, Desidaria Baguio, and Marcelina Tabat of Hambongan island.
Six were from Calape- -Jimmy Roloma Jr., 23 of barangay Cabagnitan; Myla Barquez, 36 of barangay Santa Cruz; Chery Amor Ganade, 31 and Joel Ganade, 31; Anastacia, 44, and Xzyron Jhosh Rulida, 25, of barangay Banglasan.
From Sagbayan were Simplicio Apao Jr., 30, married, of barangay Poblacion; and Galanida Elesita, 41, married.
From Talibon were Cirilo Aurestila, 46, married of barangay San Isidro; an unnamed 21-year-old son of Panfilo Cajes; Roosevelt Atienza, 26, of barangay Bagacay; Lorna Auza, 18, of barangay San Francisco; Jordan Cajes, 21, of barangay Sto. Niño; and Socrates Garcia, 36.
From Tubigon were Richard Mejares, 41, married; Roberto Limocon Jr,. 37, married, of barangay Macaas; Ramel Tugib, 35, married, of barangay Cabulijan; and Samuel Corsiga of barangay Potohan.
From Loon were Lucrecio Sanguenza, 47, married, of barangay Tontonan; and Roel Lariba, 37, married, of barangay Catagbacan.
Others were Jonathan Pahigdana, 26, married, of barangay Lumangog, Ubay; Roberto Malunes, 35, married of Valencia; Dennis Ranan, 29, single, of Jagna; and Reynaldo Bulabos, 32, single, of barangay Soom, Trinidad; Herminigildo Gacia Jr., 39, married of barangay Tuburan, Bien Unido; Romulo Lagrono, 49, married of Sikatuna St., Tagbilaran City; and Alejandro Ayade, 63 of barangay Kawayanan, Mabini.
In another tragedy, three youthful Boholanos serving as apprentice were among the passengers of a cargo vessel that sank at the height of typhoon “Frankâ€.
The three were identified as Julius Tulang of Bilar, Julius Bompat of Bil-isan, Panglao and Arnold Yuchengco of Poblacion, Panglao.
The three are fresh graduates of Cristal e-College in Panglao.
Dr. Necerio Ilensa, Cristal e- school director, confirmed that the three were among the passengers of the MV Paway Lake, a cargo ship that sank off the coast of Masbate .
Ilensa initially reported that Tulang made it alive to Burias island in Romblon while Bompat was reported in the custody of the shipping company the following day.
He said only Yochengco remained missing at the time he was interviewed by Station DyTR.
This was however corrected by Jim Jayme, an employee of the firm that operated the ill-fated cargo ship.
Jayme denied that Bompat was already accounted for saying that he remained missing until press time and that reports that he has been rescued were mere hearsay.
He also revealed that Yochengco was confirmed dead by other survivors who recalled that he was already lifeless when they tried to bring him to the shore.
Jayme said the survivors recalled that they tried to tie a rope in the body of Yochengo but strong waves cut the rope, prompting them to leave him in the open sea.
He revealed that the vessel came from Semirara Mining Corp. in Marinduque and was on its way to Toledo City when the storm struck while it was in the sea off Roxas, Capiz.
According to Jayme, the three apprentice seamen came aboard just two weeks earlier.
Of the 25 crew members, only four have so far been found alive including Tulang.
Meanwhile, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Bohol admitted that it was finding difficulty in identifying the Boholanos among the passengers of the MV Princess of the Stars.
Engr. Verneil Balaba, OCD Bohol chief, said that there are many Boholano surnames listed in the passenger manifest.
However, it is difficult to ascertain if they are indeed Boholanos because they simply listed their port of destination which is Cebu City. -
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