“COME TOGETHER right now …over me.” Immortal lines from probably one of the greatest singer/songwriter of all times, the late John Lennon.
The lines were from Come Together, a campaign by John Lennon for psychologist and LSD guru Timothy Leary when he ran for governor of California.
It didn’t really make much of an impact. Leary lost but the song became the anthem when John Lennon was shot and people “came together” to his grave and paid respect and homage.
There’s nothing like a tragedy to make people come together.
And tragedy is exactly what happened on Aug. 3 when 31 people died in what could be the worst disaster to hit the island province of Guimaras since that oil spill 13 years ago.
M/B Chi Chi and M/B Keshia, both bound for Guimaras from Iloilo City, were hit by a squall or a sudden gust of violent winds and rain. They capsized.
At around 4 p.m. Iloilo City-bound M/B Jenny Vince from Guimaras was hit by another squall and also capsized.
The three boats had a total of 86 passengers of which 31 did not survive.
Admittedly there were lapses and shortcomings in the rescue operations that were conducted but the response was almost immediate. Noteworthy also was the action taken by the Iloilo City government in providing aid and comfort not only to the survivors but also providing food and temporary shelter to the stranded passengers.
Mayor Geronimo Treñas was hands-on and on top of the situation. Despite the strong winds and rains he hit the ground running. Good thing he did not slip.
On a serious note, Mayor Geronimo, what you did for the survivors and the stranded passengers was a beautiful gesture. Bravo!
And you think that the tragic death of those passengers was bad enough? Wait, there’s more:
Excerpts from the Aug. 7, 2019 issue of Panay News:
Guimaras boats not seaworthy? MARINA grounds all motorboats, starts probe
How seaworthy are the motorboats plying the Iloilo-Guimaras route? Following the capsizing of three boats on Aug. 3, the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) grounded all the motorboats crisscrossing the Iloilo Strait.
“The MARINA has suspended the operation of all passenger motorbancas operating the Iloilo-Guimaras route, subject to review and assessment of safety conditions of said vessels until further notice,” read the agency’s advisory.
According to Engineer Roel Pador, senior shipping specialist of MARINA in Western Visayas, the agency had long ordered the phase-out of wooden-hulled passenger sea vessels.
MARINA Circular 2016-02 Series of 2016 pushed for the modernization of sea vessels, he said.
And from the Aug. 8, 2019 issue of Panay News:
Bad for Guimaras: Grounding of motorboats hurts economy – Gumarin
The grounding of motorboats plying the Iloilo-Guimaras route has made it difficult for people here to go to Iloilo City to work study or do business. It has also become harder to transport goods from this island province to the city and vice versa, according to Gov. Samuel Gumarin.
“Our economy is Agri-tourism propelled. The grounding of the motorboats is adversely affecting it. It has displaced Guimarasnons working in the motorboat sector. Please help us,” said Gumarin.
Gumarin said, “70 to 80 percent” of Guimaras’ needs are sourced from Iloilo.
It felt like Guimaras had become isolated, he lamented.
Indeed, Guimaras started life as a part of Iloilo. In fact the island was once part of the 2nd District then became a sub-province of Iloilo until finally becoming an independent province.
Despite that you can say that Guimaras never really cut off its umbilical cord to Iloilo. It still maintains a symbiotic relationship with the mainland and is almost totally dependent.
A significant number of Guimarasnons work, do business and study in Iloilo City (although there seems to be a trend now of some government officials and public school teachers taking graduate studies at Guimaras State College, now a university).
And the only way to cross Iloilo Strait to and from Guimaras is to take one of those “pumpboats” which have proven to be not only risky but fatal as well.
Never was a time when a bridge connecting Guimaras to the mainland was desperately needed. Unfortunately that is still a long way to go. The 19.2-kilometer Panay-Guimaras-Negros Link Bridge is still under a feasibility study.
“The feasibility study — may requirement po kasi. For an inter-island bridge for example, may required na pre-feasibility study, feasibility study and detailed engineering design,” Build, Build, Build Committee chairperson Anna Mae Lamentillo explained.
Perhaps it’s time for Guimaras’ Rep. Lucille Nava and I Am Iloilo City’s Rep. Julienne Baronda (she has affinity with Guimaras as an illustrious alumna of Guimaras State College) to get their acts together and “gently persuade” the powers-that-be to fast-track the construction of the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Link Bridge./PN
Sir, I agree with you 100%. Build the bridge already! The inter-island bridge project was conceptualized way back during the term of President Fidel V. Ramos. How many “feasibility” studies are needed? The Japanese did one back in 1999. In the ten years I’ve lived in Guimaras, I’ve seen countless reports of “feasibility” studies and claims that the construction on the bridge would start in 2016. I have a better chance of seeing Bigfoot on Guimaras than to see actual construction of the bridge begin.
Sadly, despite the tragic loss of 31 lives lost, I doubt much will be done. We’ll hear lots of politicians talking giving us more empty promises. Nothing was done back in October 2015 when the Tawash capsized on the same waters as this recent tragedy. Nine lives were lost, including crew member, Larry, a good friend.
Sir, I hope someone heeds your call. Do we have to wait for another tragedy on the Iloilo Strait before work on the bridge actually begins? I hope not.