Wednesday, June 25, 2008 Search on for 182 Negrense fishermen By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
Typhoon death toll now at 5
THE Provincial Government of Negros Occidental formed Task Force "Mananagat (Fishermen)" (TFM) on Monday to focus in the search and rescue operations of the 182 Negresense fishermen reported missing.
Governor Isidro Zayco also asked Negros Occidental Police Provincial Director Rosendo Franco to request two helicopters from the Philippine Air Force to be used in the search and rescue operations in Masbate, Romblon and Capiz waters.
Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr., named chairman of TFM, said based on their consolidated data, 155 of the missing crew members are from Cadiz City while 23 others are from Sagay City and four from Hinoba-an town.
Their names, however, were not released as of Monday after Escalante requested the media not to deliver 'half-cooked' news so as not to cause more worries to the grieving families.
The missing fishermen were part of the total 543 on board 24 commercial fishing boats that capsized in the different locations like in Sibuyan island, Isla Sapatos Daku and Isla Sapatos Gamay and even at the Sicogon island between Iloilo and Capiz when typhoon 'Frank' smashed into the Visayas islands Saturday and Sunday.
As to the survivors, the mayor said 364 fishermen were already accounted for and are in safe condition.
One fatality, however, was reported as of Monday and was identified as Rene Baring from Cadiz City.
Baring was a fishing crew of FB Jen-Jen 3 of Mr. Samsom Yap.
Of the 24 ill-fated fishing boats, Escalante said 20 were from Cadiz and four were from Sagay City.
The owners of the ill-fated boats from Cadiz City were identified as Gregorio Gardoce of F/B Gregoria VIII, Edgar Alan Sotelo of Seaquest Fishing Development Corporation, Robert Puey of CYC Fishing Ventures, Steven Be of both Tri-Star Fishing and Rico Fishing Ventures, Samsom Yap of F/B Jen-Jen 3, Roy Vinjandre of Laura Fishing Ventures, Allan Daniel, Pete Alvin Lim and one unknown of Alaska Fishing Ventures.
The two others from Sagay City were known as Reggie Eden of MBCAs VRF1 & 2 and Liberty Jagonos of MBCAs Virgo Star and Libra Star.
A check at 7 p.m. on Monday with Escalante showed that of the 80 fishing crew of CYC Fishing, 40 were already accounted for.
Of the 29 from Seaquest Fishing, three were accounted, 26 remain missing; from F/B Gregoria VIII - all 15 were accounted for; Tri-Star Fishing - all 80 accounted for; Rico Fishing - all 80 accounted for; Samsom Yap's F/B Jen-Jen 3 - 12 survived and all accounted for but with 11 still missing; Laura Fishing - 16 survived, 44 missing; Allan Daniel's 2 trawls - 16 survived, eight missing; Pete Lim's two purse seiners - all 80 survived; Alaska Fishing - eight survived, 26 missing; VRF 1 & 2 - 19 still missing and Virgo Star and Libra Star - 14 survived, four still missing.
Escalante, however, refused to confirm reports that some of the recovered dead bodies now at the funeral parlors in Roxas, Capiz; Masbate and Romblon were the fishermen from Cadiz and Sagay cities. "Not until we can identify them, we won't venture in saying that those cadavers were those of our fishermen."
Zayco, meanwhile, said, "the province is willing to pour financial assistance just to see to it that search and rescue operations will be done as early as possible to recover all Negrense fishermen."
Asked how much the province will allot for the search and rescue operations, Zayco said "it will depend on the expenses, especially the fuel of two helicopters from the Philippine Air Force."
Meanwhile, the confirmed fatalities in Negros Occidental rose to five with the death of Baring, a fisherman, whose body was recovered from Sicogon Island between the Iloilo and Capiz waters.
The four others were earlier identified by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) as Teresa Campos, 8, from Murcia; Perlita Sanita, 49, from Sagay City; Elieser Monaliza Padilla, 31, from Pontevedra and Luminado Temporosa, 82, from Hinigaran town.
PSWDO head Liane Garcia also reported that as of Monday, 18 towns and cities in Negros were affected by 'Frank', including Isabela, Cauayan, Moises Padilla, Hinigaran, Binalbagan, Valladolid, Pontevedra, Bago City, Pulupandan, Calatrava, Sagay City, Cadiz City, Manapla, Victorias City, E.B. Magalona, Silay City, Talisay City and Murcia.
E.B. Magalona Mayor David Lacson already place the town under a state of calamity due to 'Frank's' damage.
Of the 18 localities, 109 barangays were affected with 8,603 families, consisting of 42,517 individuals, forced to move to various evacuation centers.
The number of totally damaged houses also climbed to 185 from the previous 179 while those partially damaged now reached 656 now, Garcia said.
Garcia, meanwhile, said a total of 85 boxes of noodles, 160 sacks of rice and 85 boxes of sardines were already distributed to 18 affected localities, adding some of the evacuees have went back to their respective houses while some opted to remain at the evacuation centers as of Monday.
