The Philippines has seen many sea tragedies.  Here’s my list of the worst based on the number of casualties:

1.  MV Dona Paz

On December 20, 1987, MV Dona Paz, a Sulpicio Lines owned ferry caught fire and sunk between  Mindoro and Tablas islands after it collided with a small oil tanker Vector.  More than 4,400 were killed.

2.  MV Princes of the Stars

On June 21, 2008, MV Princes of the Stars, a Sulpicio Lines owned ferry capsized off the coast of Romblon killing almost 900 passengers.

3. MV Dona Marilyn

On 1988, another Sulpicio Lines owned ferry sank  off near Leyte killing almost 300 passengers.

Others:

Bocaue Pagoda Tragedy

On July 2, 1993, more than 200 people died when the pagoda they were on sunk  at midday.

“Sea accidents are common in the Philippine archipelago due to tropical storms, badly maintained boats and weak enforcement of safety regulations.” — philstar.com.

And I thought that our maritime authorities have learned from last year’s MV Princess of the Stars tragedy. And even before that, we have had a string of maritime disasters, with one of them being considered as the worst peacetime maritime disaster in history: the MV Doña Paz – MT Vector sea collision.

Yesterday morning, MV SuperFerry 9 listed and sank off the coast of Zamboanga del Norte, carrying more than 900 passengers who were roused from their sleep (others report that there were more than 1,000).

What will the Maritime Industry Authority and other local maritime governing bodies have to say –and do– about this? Because you see, to my knowledge, these sea accidents are not that frequent in other countries. Superferry 9 even sailed out to sea in calm weather. Of course, accidents do happen. But sea accidents in the Philippines have been a perennial event that nobody ever wanted to hear.

Around a dozen passengers are already confirmed dead. Many are still missing. If ever they’re still alive, let us pray for their quick rescue…

Manila, Philippines, 21 June 2009—Philippines’ Public Advocates Office (PAO) is filing a motion today seeking for the cancellation of the franchise of Sulpicio Lines. Sulpicio Lines is the company which owns MV Princess of the Stars, the ship which sank off the coasts of Romblon and killed hundreds of Filipinos. The ship sank a year ago.

Atty. Percida Acosta, chief of the Philippine PAO, also said that they are filing criminal and civil charges against the owners of the shipping company, led by Mr. Edgar Go. Go is reportedly responsible for the tragedy which led to the deaths of more than a thousand Filipinos, including babies and young kids.

In an interview over at DZMM, Acosta said it has been a year since the tragedy struck and victims are still seeking for justice. More than a 100 victims have filed numerous charges against Mr. Go of Sulpicio Lines. Yet, the Department of Justice (DoJ) has not acted beyond the preliminary investigation stage. The last hearing was held last March 27.

Hundreds of victims of Sulpicio Lines will go to the DOJ to ask for justice. Afterwards, they will take part in a mass this 3pm. Catholic priest Fr. Robert Reyes will officiate the mass.

I’m Back and I Came from the Back!!

This year’s Holy Week expedition was not just another fun climb to escape the Lenten season boredom. Perhaps for some however not with our group as we got our very own “penitencia” in mind so we have chosen the infamous Mt Guiting Guiting traverse. The Guiting Guiting traverse was formerly scheduled last May 2008 however with Super Typhoon Cosme hovering the country for several days, we have decided to call off the climb and have it for next year. I guess the typhoon was a blessing as God gave us the longest time possible to plan the climb. We have researched about the traverse trail and structured our operations and logistics during November and then came December 2008, with no members exceeding 11, we confirmed with the Sibuyan PASU of our expedition.

taken March 2008

I have decided to come back to this place for 2 reasons: 1) I was not able to summit the first time due to bad weather (our guide halted our ascent), 2) I fell in love with the Mt Guiting Guiting and Sibuyan that I pledge to climb there every year. The traverse trail is the most difficult climb so far and strangely, I was able to summit it despite my body condition as I was in and out of hospital from December through April mostly due to Asthma. I guess some Supreme Being was there with us throughout the entire climb as I have suggested a prayer before the trek starts and our very little owns en route. 

It All Started with Vertigo

The history of the traverse trail was comical that I never believed it at first knowing how hard the traverse trail is. Sir Remy was not able to summit Mt Guiting Guiting on his first attempt as he got scared when the mist uncovered the infamous Knife Edge after passing Mayo’s Peak via the traditional Magdiwang trail so he decided to create a new trail to summit Mt Guiting Guiting without passing the Knife Edge. He never expected he will be facing a more challenging trail beyond his very own backyard at San Fernando and that he will be passing the Knife Edge too to get to DENR Magdiwang! After he created the trail, he led Sirs Valintin, Andy, and Ely of the DENR, on 2005 a small group consisting of AMCI members, then 4 years after, our team. 

Under ideal conditions, 3 days is enough to traverse Mt Guiting Guiting however, since it has been 4 years since the trail was open plus Super Typhoon Frank made tremendous damages on the mountain, we have to recreate the trail again thus, took us 4 days to finish the traverse with one emergency camp between camp 2 and 3. Unlike the traditional trail wherein climbers will have to use an assault pack to reach the summit, you will have to go on full pack the entire climb. The icing on the cake is, during the summit assault, average inclination is 80 degrees on the rockies trail! I was not able to bring out my cam on the Rockies part to lessen the trouble.

Water sources are abundant at the Magiting Trail. Approximately an hour away from Sir Remy’s backyard, there’s Olango river. You can load up to 3.5 to 4 liters of trail water on your way to camp 3. Also at the same time frame, from camp 3, there’s “Remval” spring where you can fetch water for cooking and for tomorrow’s summit assault. Remval was named after Sirs Remy and Valintin. The highlight of the traverse is from camp 3 to summit where climbers will have to pass the rockies to “Remvaldyly Peak” (the legend of Remy, Valintin, Andy, and Ely). From Remvaldyly Peak, you can view the summits of Mts Sibuyan and Guiting Guiting. Everyone has to be careful of the sharp rocks similar to that found at the Peak of Deception. And of course, the greatest highlight of them all, the summit of Mt Guiting Guiting itself.

New Cam!

What made this trip more exciting was I bought a new DSLR camera which is an Olympus E-42o. I went against the grain of Nikons and Canons as the decision was made based on my experiences with my first digital camera which is the Olympus 720SW Stylus Tough. My dad is also an Olympus loyalist and has good shots with his old school Olympus SLR which my sister and I made our practice shots with. I bought the cam 2 days before the climb so I read and studied the whole manual before our climb. I do admit that most of my shots are not of good quality so after we climbed Mt Guiting Guiting, I took some test shots. Most of the shots I had at Sibuyan are all in Aperture priority

Sitio Olango, our jump off point, has countless subject so I took advantage of it. One of my favorites is the Pebbles shot I took near Sir Remy’s home.

The next day, I woke up early to greet the other team and I this shiny basin caught my attention. I love the colors and my cam caught what my eyes saw.

also this shot

The Falling Star

Sir Remy also took us to the site with the MV Princess of the Stars sank. We were guided by some coast guard crew and rode a bangka to go nearer and take some shots. After the bangka ride, Jan said that I should learn how to take shots faster. I did miss a lot of things but that was a lot of experience points for me.

I also took some shots at the beach and this is my favorite

The continues news about sinking ships and vessels really saddens me. Thousand of lives were being sacrificed and their family lives in sorrow and pain. The M/V Princess of the Stars are the third ship of Sulpicio lines who sank and gave another point to our tragic worst sinking history.

On June 21, 2008 at the height of Typhoon Frank, M/V Princess of the stars was being capsized in Sibuyan Island near San Fernando, Romblom. The passengers is variously reported between 700 to 800. Out of this number, only 48 survivors confirmed.

More than 20 years ago, the world’s worst ferry disaster happened. The sinking of MV Dona Paz whe it was collided with a small oil tanker, the Vector, which was carrying 8,800 barrels of petroleum products. It happened on December 20, 1987.

The official death toll on the ferry is 1,565 although some reports claim that the ferry was overcrowded and that the true death toll at least 4,341.

After less than a year, on October 24, 1988, the sinking of another of Sulpicio Lines‘ inter-island ferry boat MV Doña Marilyn came as Typhoon Ruby, swept through the Philippines.

Doña Marilyn had been carrying 451 passengers and 67 crew members.

Authorities pointed to overloading as the cause of the sinking of Doña Marilyn which reportedly killed over 70 people.

After more than a decade, another Sulpicio LIne vessel sank, this time it is the M/V Princess of the Orient near Fortune Island in Batangas resulted in the death of 70 people. Eighty remained missing.

Last July 7, 2005, More than 200 passengers were onboard M/V Princess of the World when it caught fire near the Zamboanga peninsula on July 7, 2005. Fortunately all of them were rescued from the burning vessel.

Within this year, Incidents of sea tragedies shocked us all. Last November 4, MB Don Dexter Cathlyn capsized due to a freak accident – it was hit by a high wind despite fair weather and calm waters. The incident killed 42 lives.

With these death tolls, how can we be sure that we are safe taking the sea transportation again? Are we boarding a floating “coffin”?

I was reading the online headlines in Philippine-based newswires, and another sea disaster has happened near Masbate. Initial reports said at least 40 were confirmed dead when M/L Don Dexter Cathlyn sinks off due to weather disturbance.

The country has not yet recovered from the tragedy of MV Princess of the Stars, but here comes another tragedy. Although blame game will be the expected news after this incident, but let us not forget to get down to the root cause of the maritime problem. Band aid solution is not enough. Let us not add more grim statistics to the sea tragedy. Enough.

Bribery and the Court of Appeals
The Supreme Court dismissed Court of Appeals Associate Justice Vicente Q. Roxas for violating the Judicial Code of Conduct in connection with the bribery scandal involving the Manila Electric Company. Roxas was a bit saddened by the decision but was nonetheless thankful that finally, he’ll have plenty of time to spend the millions of pesos he received from the power firm.

Bribery and the Court of Appeals II
In connection with the bribery scandal at the Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court has dismissed Associate Justice Vicente Q. Roxas, to whom Meralco said, “O, wag nang manisi. Bayad ka na!”

Bribery and the Court of Appeals III
Associate Justice Jose Sabio, the original whistleblower in the Meralco bribery scandal, was found guilty of simple misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a justice of the Court of Appeals. He was suspended for two months without pay. Again, that’s without pay. Sabio has just sent a text message to businessman Francis De Borja saying any amount that he’ll offer will now be accepted.

Bribery and the Court of Appeals IV
In connection with the Meralco bribery scandal at the Court Appeals, Associate Justice Vicente Q. Roxas was dismissed; Associate Justice Jose Sabio was suspended; Presiding Justice Conrado Vasquez was severely reprimanded; Associate Justice Bienvenido Reyes was reprimanded, and Associate Justice Myrna Dimaranan-Vidal was admonished. Hats off to Meralco for successfully corrupting the judiciary!

In Other News…
All priests in the 91 parishes of San Fernando City, Pampanga vowed to help gather 1 million signatures against the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill. In fact, several couples have already expressed support for the anti-RH campaign. They just couldn’t sign right now because they’re having an orgy.

Of the Reproductive Health Bill, San Fernando Archbishop Paciano Aniceto said, “Let’s fight the culture of death. Let’s fight the anti-life conspiracy.” That statement was released 10 minutes after Archbishop Aniceto finished watching X-Files 2.

Top 5 Suggested Slogans Rejected by the Archdiocese of San Fernando for the Anti-RH Bill Campaign

5: Sa ikauunlad ng bayan, maraming bata ang kailangan!

4: Ang Utos ni Yahweh: Humiga at Magparami

3: Isang Milyong Lagda Para sa Isang Milyong Bata

2: Dare to Bare: No to Condom!

And the number 1 suggested slogan rejected by the Archdiocese of San Fernando for their anti-RH Bill campaign…

1: Sign Up for Sex!

Chavit’s Appointment
Chavit Singson has been appointed as deputy National Security Adviser… mainly because his bodyguards and escorts have already outnumbered the police force in the entire Luzon.

MV Princess of the Stars’ Captain
The Regional Disaster Coordinating Council in Central Visayas has confirmed that the missing captain of the ill-fated MV Princess of the Stars is dead… officially eliminating Sulpicio Lines’ last potential scapegoat.

Belo and BF
Celebrity cosmetic expert Vicki Belo and boyfriend Dr. Hayden Kho are reportedly heading towards splitsville. Rumors say youthful Hayden has not been seeing Vicki lately because of his very tight schedule. So tight that it’s reportedly even tighter than Vicki Belo’s face.

The fighting in Mindanao, the debate over the bungled Bangsamoro Juridical Entity, and yes, the highest inflation rate in 14 years of 12.5% are hugging the headlines, along with the extended presence of ‘visiting’ American troops in Zamboanga.

So it is understandable that the tragic sinking of MV Princess of the Stars  nearly three months ago has not been on the top of our minds of late.

But there is movement on the ground with salvage work on the ship wreck due to commence in several weeks at a cost of some P350-M to the owner, Sulpicio Lines. SLI, in compliance with the conditions set by the salvage firm, Florida-based Titan Salvage, has paid 50% of the cost of the operation which will first be focused on extracting the toxic cargo still in the bowels of MV Princess of the Stars.

The Cebu-based shipping firm recently reported that it has extended bereavement and other financial aid to more than 500 or is it 600 families of the dead and missing, many of whose remains are still entombed inside MV Princess of the Stars, once the lead vessel in Sulpicio’s fleet of inter-island passenger and cargo vessels.

It’s previously been reported that Sulpicio ships carry up to 40% of the commercial cargo ( including motor vehicles) to and from the Visayas, and Mindanao, making it a truly vital cog in the supply chain, as businessman call it.

The government has been trying to project acute awareness of this reality, attempting to balance the still highly emotional issue of the recent tragedy with the economic imperatives.

It is no surprise then that a key lieutenant of President Arroyo, Elena Bautista, undersecretary for maritime affairs, has just taken over the helm of the Maritime Industry Authority. Bautista once headed the Land Transportation Frachising and Regulatory Board.

(With thanks to Jen who noted my earlier mistaken mention of Bautista being an alumna of Assumption. She graduated from the Ateneo, Jen shared.)

The MARINA, in turn has laid down a strict time-bound schedule for Sulpicio Lines to comply with stringent maritime safety standards, including retraining of its sea-going personnel, and upgraded insurance coverage.

To be fair, Sulpicio Lines appears to have shed its earlier bad handling of the crisis which including claiming the incident “was an act of God” and its seeming all-out ’sue everyone” legal tactic.

Government itself is not blameless in the affair with the negligence of key agencies in both the micro and macro sense (the inadequate seaworthiness certifications, the ‘white elephant’ maritime emergency communications system, and PAGASA’s failure to procure properly-budgeted weather tracking and forecasting systems).

There is also the matter of the ticking environmental time bomb, given Del Monte Philippines’ highly toxic cargo of the Israeli-manufactured endosulfan pesticide which, if it leaks together with some 200,000 liter of bunker fuel still in the overturned ship, could wreak untold harm to the rich fishing waters of the Visayas.

But still, public perception, and blame-selection remains decidedly against Sulpicio even as the firm itself is reportedly struggling to literally stay afloat, operationally and financially.

Its competitors are even suspected of adding fuel to the fire by nudging negatively-slanted news and opinion reportage.

The Department of Justice’s Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) has also been ‘eager’ to stay in the news, prodding victims’ relatives to pursue damage, and criminal cases against SLI.

This writer has confirmed that the legally-required conduct of indigency certification tests for all litigants getting pro bono PAO  legal aid has been waived.

Both houses of Congress are also not done yet with their inquiries “in aid of legislation” and there is, of course, a pending Board of Marine Inquiry recommendation for the revocation of Sulpicio’s Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC).

So given these very dire circumstances, what does lie ahead for Sulpicio Lines?

It almost seems too much to bear that last Thursday Sulpicio’s MV Cotabato Princess rammed the Iloilo pier after reportedly being swept by heavy currents.

Three months and one week after MV Princess of the Stars fell on its side and turned belly up, government probers are releasing their findings, not about what caused the tragedy but about who is to blame.

Strangely, the Board of Marine Inquiry is telling the public what it wants to hear: that only the ship owner, Sulpicio Lines, should be on the carpet with its Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) recommended for cancellation.

No debate there, maybe.

But talking about negligence, what about the wholesale negligence on the part of the government entities whose main responsibility it is to regulate, and guarantee safety in our seas?

• What of the Coast Guard and it patently anomalous  white elephant maritime emergency communications project and lack of honest, and competent, boarding officers?
  
• What of the PAGASA and its utter failure to procure properly budgeted weather forecasting equipment?
• What of the Philippine Ports Authority, the MARINA and their failure to police the ports, including having competent harbor masters?
• What of the shippers of highly toxic, improperly declared cargo?
• Are they all going scot free as the neglect for the shiping industry as a whole continues unabated???
• Are we now simply going to shrug our shoulders until the next Philippine maritime disaster claims hundreds of lives?

BY GERARD NAVAL

A MEMBER of the Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI) yesterday said an error in judgment on the part of MV Princess of the Stars master Florencio Marimon was the root cause of the sea tragedy last June.

Capt. Demetrio Ferrer, BMI member and spokesman, said Marimon failed to make the correct decision with regards to the capability of the ferry to withstand big waves and strong rains brought about by typhoon “Frank.”

Marimon is among those feared dead.

Of the 800 on board the ill-fated ferry, only 124 casualties and 60 survivors have been accounted for.

“What vessel could sustain that kind of weather condition? Forty feet sea and about 150 wind force. The very root cause: there was an error of judgment as what we have said on the part of the master. That is the primary root cause and the others are supposed to be contributory factors of negligence and complacency,” he said.

Maritime experts Capt. Rodolfo Estampador of the Conference of Maritime Manning Agencies, and Capt. (ret.) Michael Cuanzon shared Ferrer’s view.

“As the captain, we are forced to calculate risk against elements of nature. We don’t rely so much on the Pagasa. It is the right of the master to decline voyage if there is an approaching typhoon,” said Cuanzon, adding that the MV Princess should have sought shelter in Puerto Galera.

The passenger/cargo vessel left the Port of Manila last June 20 under Signal No. 1. By the time Frank changed its course and Pagasa had issued storm signal warnings the following day, MV Princess had run smack into the typhoon.

BMI chairman Rear Adm. Ramon Liwag said they will submit their report to Coast Guard commandant Vice Adm. Wifredo Tamayo tomorrow.

Liwag said they are looking at Monday as when the report will be made public by the Department of Transportation and Communication.

He said the report will not make findings of criminal liability as the probe merely determined the facts. - With Genivi Factao(Malaya)

=======================

My Take:

Now they’re using the classic “Dead Men Tells no Tales” tactic.

Pointing a possible dead man as the culprit and cleaning the shoes of the masters is one act pulled with a possible large amount of money involved.

Almost two months now after the ill-fated MV Princess of the Star went under the sea, the Board of Marine Inquiry tagged error of judgment by the ship captain led into the capsizing of the ship as shown in their initial findings. No matter what, “the ship is always under the full responsibility of the master.” Earlier it was the PAGASA that was scored on for faulty weather forecasting. In fact Sulpicio Lines, owner of the MV Princess of the Stars, had put all the blames to PAGASA  for the tragic sinking of their ship.  

Below is the complete story from ABS-CBN News Online

BMI: Captain’s ‘error of judgment’ led to ‘Princess’ tragedy

The captain of the ill-fated MV Princess of the Stars committed an “error of judgment” when he allowed the vessel to sail despite the worsening weather condition last June, initial findings of the Board of Marine Inquiry’s (BMI) investigation into the capsizing of the ship showed. 

“Human error is the principal mistake, neglect, [or] lapse in this part of the tragedy,” BMI vice-chairman Capt. Demetrio Ferrer said in an interview on ANC.

Ferrer maintained that “a ship is always under the full responsibility of the master”. Weather bulletins from PAGASA were just a “contributory factor” to the sinking of the ferry off Romblon that killed hundreds of its passengers, he added.   

Weather bureau PAGASA had been blamed by Princess of the Stars’ owner, Sulpicio Lines Inc., for the tragedy. Ferrer, however, said marine officers should not solely rely on PAGASA bulletins. 

He pointed out that for one, every ship captain has instruments in order to determine the severity of the weather condition. 

He also cited a provision under the International Safety Management (ISM) Code prohibiting a ship from going inside a storm or crossing during typhoons. ISM provides an international standard for the safe management and operation of ships and for pollution prevention.  

“All public agencies are duty-bound to provide services to people such as the safety matter aspects. In our international maritime rule, the master or the company, or other merchant marine officers will not just rely on other sources,” Ferrer said. 

The BMI has ended its hearings on the tragedy. Ferrer said the agency will still have to compile other pieces of evidence before they can come out with recommendations. 

Ferrer said the BMI recommendations will focus on proactive measures so as to prevent a repeat of the incident, admitting that the current system in the local maritime industry needs “overhaul.” 

The Princess of the Stars capsized off San Fernando town in Romblon at the height of bad weather brought by typhoon Frank on June 21. It sailed with 864 passengers and crewmen from the port of Manila the night before.

 If it investigation points at error of judgement on the part of the ship captain as the one to blame in the capsizing of MV Princess of the Stars, the owner Sulpicio Lines is not yet absolved of civil liabilities. It has to compensate still the victims, and may still face other kinds of lawsuits for reasons of negligence.  

Senate President Manuel Villar’s countenance was obviously (and expectedly) unexcited as he torpidly “welcomed” President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo into the podium where she is to dictate her 8th State of the Nation Address to a nation reeling from a mild cost-of-living-is-rising-like-mad panic. The Speaker of the House who stood to the president’s left was no longer the same person with big ears and sagging eyes whom she used to dine and wine with for years. The skies outside the Batasang Pambansâ were darkened by heavy storm clouds as the nation sang the Philippine National Anthem. And all this amid a nation mourning just very recently for the demise of hundreds in the grim capsizing of the M/V Princess of the Stars.

Portents?

Since assuming the presidency in 2001 from lawfully mandated president Joseph Ejército ”Erap” Estrada in a military-backed coup, each and every one of her SONAs has been highly anticipated by both supporters and critics. Arguably, she is the only president whose SONAs have made English-speaking Filipino listeners glued to their TV sets and radios. A day after giving out a SONA, all major dailies carrying the news run out in the newstands.

Last Monday’s SONA was no different. But given its recentness and the timeliness of its delivery in today’s economically distressed world, Arroyo’s latest SONA makes it extra special from her previous ones. For one, it still promises charity, hope, and progress amidst unprecedented and record-setting oil and rice price hikes. Secondly, Arroyo could already be on the twilight of her political career, especially since her administration (peppered with military personas since the very beginning) is now regarded as the Philippines’ most corrupt and unpopular leader ever, surprisingly besting even the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos!

Even the beginning of her the speech was scary enough (“I address you today at a crucial moment in world history”), immediately putting her audience on the edge of their seats. Then her speech masterfully shifted towards the issue of a global food and oil crisis hogging the country, as if blaming the Philippine troubles from outside interference.

Of course, it can never be denied that part of our modern troubles is the Great Depression’s resurrection. However, this gives a different idea to the audience when Arroyo declared that ”we are on a roller coaster ride of oil price hikes, high food prices and looming economic recession in the US and other markets. Uncertainty has moved like a terrible tsunami around the globe, wiping away gains, erasing progress. This is a complex time that defies simple and easy solutions. For starters, it is hard to identify villains, unlike in the 1997 financial crisis. Everyone seems to be a victim, rich countries and poor, though certainly some can take more punishment than others.”

It’s as if she’s putting the blame ALONE on outside forces, making it appear as if our economic woes were imminent and not self-inflicted. Also, in the Philippine setting, it is not very hard to identify villains. Just check out recent polls about her and her suspicious administration, the untiring militant throng on every major thoroughfare, and the slime behind the NBN-ZTE Controversy which make the accusations against Erap a mere barangay scuffle.

Sporadically scattered throughout her fifteen-page SONA was her emphasis on the importance of not scrapping the taxing Value Added Tax (VAT). Representing the burdened Filipino was an angry sociologist in Randy David, who, immediately right after Arroyo’s SONA, was asked for a commentary by ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC): he never hid his disbelief and utter disappointment over Arroyo’s firm stand against the VAT. In times of crises which forces an honorable head of a hungry family to toy around with ideas of thievery, it holds so much water to scrap a VAT which doesn’t seem to trickle down to the needs of those who are in dire need of its fruits. But the little president is too big to be moved by calls for her to scrap it, even for just a short while. Adding insult to injury, she thanked the Filipinos “for footing the bill.”

The much-revered David is rarely angry over a politician, and on live TV at that. And President Arroyo just did that to him, making him appear on TV barely able to contain his righteous rage, seething on the teeth.

But just as she angered some, she made millions more happy. Amusingly, she mentioned that texting is a way of life. In order to help her poverty-stricken constituents keep up with the times, she asked telecoms to cut the cost of messages between networks. She happily declared: “It is now down to 50 centavos.”

It elicited quite an applause (which she seemed to be waiting for every now and then throughout her one-hour speech) perhaps not only inside the Batasan but in each household who was tuned in to her speech.

The next day, it was made clear that the 50-cent Pinoy joy will last for a measly three months.

Like all her seven SONAs, this one is a failure. The unamused and hungry Filipino would rather find grub in garbage, and the sensible ones would rather watch grass grow, than listen to her pronouncements. Because no matter how she rams beautiful statistics into the minds of the Filipinos about our nation’s progress and development, the truth of the matter is that the laborer has to labor twice than before to feed his emaciated family, the tired commuter is compelled to secretly not pay his jeepney fare just to save his hard-earned peso (in Pinoy parlance, this is called “one… two… three!”), the squatter will have no more recourse than to join gang and highway robberies just for their loved ones to survive the economic crunch, the virgin poor will have to give up her flesh and dignity in exchange for school fees either for her or for her siblings, the legendary movie star will have to downgrade himself to a mere TV starlet on a sleazy soap opera as there is no more hope in a movie industry already on its death throes, the fisherman will have to use more dynamite and cyanide to augment his catch and translate it into lucre, the Filipino diaspora will continue to grow, and more childhood dreams of a brighter future shall continue to blow.

It’s so disheartening to continue this spite.

Another cause of her SONA’s failure is her unsavory choice to continue speaking in English in a very important speech that even the ordinary canto boy should hear. She did dabble in a few Tagalog words. But put together those Tagalog sentences and you’ll notice that it would not even fill up half a page, nor would it make any sense. Tagalog today is undoubtedly the National Language. It is spoken and understood throughout the islands even by non-Tagalogs, thanks to local media. Speaking in a foreign language only keeps her far, far away from the masses whom she declares she’s very concerned with. Remember not to forget one of Erap’s powers. and it’s spelled T-A-G-A-L-O-G.

What price our listening to the SONA? Was it even worth our time? Was the real and complete state of the nation divulged at all? There wasn’t even any mention or plan of environmental directives (now a major global concern) save for a brief caution made towards mining companies not to be environmentally harmful with their operations.

Was the SONA intended to uplift patriotic spirits? Was it merely to inform the status quo? Or was it an avenue to create more “pogui points” for her? (such queries only lead to the question of what the SONA really is for today). If the country’s in a dilemma, so is President Arroyo’s credibility. No amount of deodorants will ever take away the stench of her administration, hiding behind the thick clouds of untrustworthiness. In the words of VIP visitor Rudolph Guiliani who gave a talk yesterday (Leadership In Times of Crisis) in Makati Shangri-La, “trust is the first part of leadership in a democracy.” Not to mention transparency of government, which he kept on emphasizing.

This been said, a Federico Álvarez, Jessica Barlomento, Shenve Catana, Victoria Mindoro et al., will not suffice for a successful leadership in times of crisis. They are not the Philippines. Stupidly for the presidential spin doctors, they can never represent 80 million. They were just handpicked, successful guinea pigs in the Malacañang Laboratory of Transitory Progress. And such a travesty of an experiment it was to display a town mayor in his native g-string when it’s not really necessary at all. For crying out loud, what for?

If last Monday’s SONA is just another round of the usual political sugar-coated promises, it appears that those who died in the M/V Princess of The Stars are better off dead. Is it not said that the dead are the lucky ones, for they shall no longer suffer?

And finally, a quibble: “Panahón pa ng Kastila bumíbili na tayo ng bigás sa labás” (since the Spanish times, we’ve been importing rice). It’s either the President or her ghost writer(s) did poor research, or she has once more uttered a terminological inexactitude (translation: she lied to us again). No less than her biographer, the late great Nick Joaquín, National Artist for Literature and foremost historian, divulged in various essays that the Philippines has been exporting not only rice but hemp and other raw materials as well.

Next year’s SONA would be such a long wait.

Meanwhile, the skies still grumble…

It has been two decades no since the first tragedy happened, as the years past more tragedies occurred now numbering to about five. And only one has been solved.

One has to wonder how the big Shipping line, Sulpicio Lines, evaded conviction on most of the five disasters it was charged with. Put together has a death toll numbering 5,000. And whats worse is that it took twenty years for the first and only case to be resolved. And what’s even more suspicious is that the only case resolved, the M/V Doña Paz case, was settled at the time when the people’s “grudge” if you may say, on Sulpicio was revived after the recent M/V Princess of the Stars tragedy. Now, has the shipping giant been bribing the authorities? It’s not being taken up, but it’s not impossible either. Now the company is finally getting its just desserts, having to pay victims huge sums and facing harsh penalties as well. But only after twenty years and 1,000 more lives later.

Now if there really is some kind of corruption happening I just hope those behind it could sleep well at night with the thought of over 5,000 people dead.

RETRIEVAL operations for the toxic cargo of chemicals and bunker fuel from the cargo hold of the ill-fated MV Princess of the Stars will begin September 1.

This developed after Sulpicio Lines Inc., the owner and operator of the ill-fated passenger vessel, signed Thursday evening a $7.5-million contract with Titan Salvage to undertake the job.

Titan will retrieve the 10 metric tons of endosulfan pesticide and the more than 100,000 liters of bunker fuel from the ill-fated vessel.

Amit Wahi, the commercial manager of Titan, said that they would begin the mobilization of their equipment and personnel once Sulpicio makes a 50-percent payment.

Maritime Transport Undersecretary Ma. Elena Bautista said it would take the salvage firm 21 days to mobilize its personnel and equipment before it could start the retrieval operations, which can be completed within three weeks.

The contract signed by Sulpicio and Titan only covers the retrieval of the bunker fuel, hydrocarbon and endosulfan pesticides, of which the latter is owned by Del Monte Philippines Inc.

The salvage firm plans to bore a hole at the side of the capsized passenger vessel where the cargo of toxic chemicals and bunker fuel are reportedly located.

Sulpicio First Vice President Edwin Go said his company is negotiating with the Philippine Technical Divers to handle the retrieval of victims’ bodies that are still inside the capsized vessel.

For humanitarian reasons, Titan agreed they will retrieve the bodies that their divers would find during the retrieval operations for the chemicals and fuels.

Likewise, members of the Philippine Technical Divers will immediately retrieve the remaining bodies inside the ill-fated vessel once all the toxic cargoes have been removed.

Maritime authorities halted their search and retrieval operations after divers discovered that a 40 foot-long container van inside the vessel contained some 10 metric tons of endosulfan.
– Anthony Vargas(ManilaTimes)

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My Take:

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat??????????

Sept. 1 pa???????????????

INUTIL ang DA (Department of Agriculture) at FPA (Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority) sa pagreregularisa ng transportasyon ng nakalalasong mga kemikal tulad ng endosulfan.

Ito ang pahayag ni Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano, kaugnay ng pagpapalusot sa transportasyon ng endosulfan sa lumubog na pampasaherong barkong M/V Princess of the Stars.

Sinabi ni Mariano na masyadong nagluwag ang DA af FPA sa regulasyon ng nakalalasong mga kemikal, lalo na nang binuwag ng DA ang PTAC (Pesticide Technical Advisory Council) noong 2002.

“Lumalabas na may vested interest na lumalaro sa DA noong 2002,” sabi ni Mariano tungkol sa DA sa ilalim ni Sek. Luis Lorenzo noong taong iyon.

Naging maluwag umano si Lorenzo sa pagpapatupad ng importasyon, distribusyon, handling, transportasyon, pagtatago at paggamit ng ipinagbabawal na pestisidyo.

“Dati, kailangang mag-renew ng exemption bawat anim na buwan ang dalawang kompanyang nakabase sa US (Dole at Del Monte). Bakit magmula noong 2006, pinahaba na nang tatlong taon ang renewal ng exemption?” tanong ni Mariano.

Sinabi pa ni Mariano na nirekomenda pa ng PTAC sa FPA ang pagbawal sa endosulfan noon pang 1994. Pero pinayagan ng FPA ang exemption sa Dole at Del Monte.

Binigyang-diin din ni Mariano na bago natalaga sa DA, tagapangulo at chief executive officer si Lorenzo ng Lapanday Foods Corporation. Naging tagapangulo rin siya ng Del Monte Philippines mula 1997 hanggang 2002, at pangalawang tagapangulo ng Del Monte Pacific Ltd.

Kinuwestiyon pa ng militanteng kongresista ang pagmonitor ng DA sa paggamit ng endosulfan, lalo pa’t ginagamit ito hindi lamang ng dalawang kompanya kundi kahit ng mga subsidyaryo nitong Lapanday at Stanfilco.

“Sakop din ba ng exemption sa endosulfan ang mga subsidyaryo ng Del Monte at Dole?” tanong pa ni Mariano.

Binatikos rin ni Mariano si dating Sek. Arthur Yap ng DA na “tuluy-tuloy na tinanggihan noon ang rekomendasyon ng mga eksperto para i-ban ang endosulfan, at binalewala ang panawagan ng mga magsasaka para sa lupa at pagkain na walang lason.”

Nanawagan si Mariano sa Kamara at Senado na imbestigahan ang naturang isyu.

Ang endosulfan ay isang pestisidyo na napatunayan nang nagdudulot ng matinding panganib sa nervous system ng tao. Nakamamatay kahit ang kaunting exposure dito.(PWeekly)

MANILA, Philippines—The Board of Marine Inquiry has determined what caused the MV Princess of the Stars to capsize and who would be held liable for the disaster, BMI chair Rear Adm. Ramon Liwag said Tuesday.

After listening to 28 witnesses in 13 hearings and losing two of its original members who resigned on charges of being biased, the BMI completed its report containing its findings and recommendations on Tuesday, Liwag said.

But Liwag refused to disclose the contents of the report, saying it would be submitted first to Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Vice Adm. Wilfredo Tamayo, who would review it and then pass it on to Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza.

“Definitely, we have findings there,” Liwag said when asked if the cause of the sinking was established. “That is what we were supposed to do,” he said in a phone interview.

Liwag said the BMI had found administrative lapses, but would not say who had committed the violations.

As for any criminal prosecution of those found responsible, he said it would be up to the other agencies if it wanted to use its report as the basis for any further action.

Sulpicio Lines earlier said the sinking of its ship was an “act of God” and presented before the board a veteran international ship captain who supported its stand and said no vessel similar to the Princess of the Stars would have survived Typhoon “Frank” (international codename: Fengshen).

The company has also filed a P4.5-million lawsuit blaming the country’s weather bureau for its allegedly erroneous report that supposedly sent the ship right into the typhoon’s path. Leila B. Salaverria(PDI)

By Jeannette Andrade, Christian V. Esguerra
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:27:00 07/22/2008

MANILA, Philippines — Some 2,000 rank and file employees of Sulpicio Lines Inc. on Monday said they could lose their jobs should there be further delays in the probe into the sinking of the MV Princess of the Stars and the inspection for seaworthiness of the firm’s other vessels.

Officials of the Sulpicio Lines Inc. Unlicensed Crew Union (SLIUCU) said 136 of their colleagues had been temporarily laid off as a result of the grounding of the company’s 13 passenger ships.

Speaking at a press conference at the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) office in Quezon City, SLIUCU president Genaro Tasan said: “While we mourn with the families of those who died and join government in seeking justice, we also beg for their understanding and consideration.”

Tasan appealed to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Department of Transportation and Communications, and the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) to speed up the investigation and the process of lifting the grounding order on all passenger vessels of the shipping firm.

He said they also wanted the people responsible for the tragedy to answer for their misdeeds but stressed that the continued delay in the inspection of the passenger vessels as well as the probe could cost them their livelihood.

The SLIUCU is composed of office and machine shop workers, stevedores, seafarers, sanitation and maintenance personnel.

Joselito Peraria of the Philippine Seafarers Union-Associated Labor Union-TUCP said that apart from the union members, porters, vendors and dry dock workers were also suffering from the grounding of the shipping fleet.

Meanwhile, the congressional committees investigating the sinking of the Princess of the Stars are looking into the possibility that the real nature of Del Monte Philippines’ toxic cargo, endosulfan, had been “misdeclared” before it was loaded on the ill-fated vessel.

Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella, chair of the House committee on transportation, on Monday acknowledged the possibility, based primarily on the account of Sulpicio Lines, owner of the sunken vessel, during last week’s hearing.

“There was a misdeclaration in certain areas,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a phone interview.

Puentevella was going by Sulpicio’s position that it would have charged Del Monte more had it known that the cargo was hazardous.

In an interview after the hearing, Sulpicio lawyer Victoria Lim-Florido said Del Monte was asked to pay only around P50,000 to ship a 40-foot container van containing 400 25-kilo boxes of endosulfan.

She said the cost would have been roughly doubled if Sulpicio had known about the real nature of the Del Monte cargo.

“The procedures for loading and handling would have been different, including the permits,” she told reporters.(PDI)

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 07:47:00 07/18/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Grieving relatives of the dead and missing passengers as well as survivors of the capsized MV Princess of the Stars will get a memorial on Sibuyan Island near where the ferry capsized during a typhoon on June 21.

Lt. Cmdr. Armand Balilo, spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard, said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had directed the PCG to draft plans for the memorial—either a lighthouse or bouy markers—in memory of victims of the ferry disaster.

Balilo said the names of the victims would be inscribed on the memorial and their relatives would be invited at its unveiling to be held by the time the 23,400-ton vessel is salvaged, possibly in two months.

“This is for the families, to help them remember and cope,” he said.

He said the President’s instruction was relayed to Vice Adm. Wilfredo Tamayo, the PCG commandant.

If a lighthouse is built, Balilo said it would also serve fishermen and passing vessels and could even prevent another tragedy. “It symbolizes hope,” he said.

Of the ferry’s more than 860 passengers and crew, only 56 survived. Leila B. Salaverria

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My Take:

What good will this make? Ha?

Remind us about how corruption claimed the lives of hundreds of people?  Remind us about the snail-paced justice we have in this country?

I see another money-making scheme in this proposal.  And i see another form of childish approach in dealing with the matter at hand: the corruption at all level, the quality of our weather-forecasting office, and the way private entities treat us ordinary people – client if capable to pay, and trash if needed to be paid.

Hope this cursed project would never push through.

CEBU CITY – At least 200 crewmen, port workers, port vendors and other port stakeholders staged Friday a protest rally outside the office of the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) 7 to press for the lifting of a ban on Sulpicio Lines Inc. passenger vessels.

The workers, brandishing placards, said while they were saddened by the deaths of at least 800 passengers aboard MV Princess of the Stars, they, too, needed their current jobs, which are now threatened by the ban.

Jeremias Alegado, president of the United South Dockhandlers Inc. (USDI), said families of arrastre and stevedoring workers in the port of Cebu are suffering.

Alegado said Marina and the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) should not wait for these people to die of hunger before acting.

Allowing the vessels to sail again would not absolve the company, Alegado said.

Genaro Tasan, president of the company’s rank-and-file employees union Sulpicio Lines Inc. and Solid Towage Employees Union, also said thousands of people depend on the shipping line’s operations.

Tasan said the grounding of Sulpicio vessels rendered jobless hundreds of workers in other cities like Iloilo, Dumaguete, Zamboanga, Cotabato, General Santos, Davao, Butuan, Ormoc, Tacloban, Ozamis, Iligan and Bacolod.

Tasan said some workers have stopped sending their children to school.

Alex Damole, president of the Sulpicio office workers union Sulpicio Lines Inc. Employees Union-office, echoed the call.

Sulpicio has laid off 136 crewmen. Damole said office workers could also be laid off.

Loreta Solon, a member of the Cebu Allied Pushcart Association, said their jobs at the port suffered as a result of the grounding of Sulpicio vessels. Solon said she no longer has money to buy rice to feed her family.

After minutes of shouting outside the Marina office, some leaders of the protesting workers were allowed to meet with Marina director Glenn Cabañez.

Cabañez told protesting workers their concerns would be relayed to Marina administrator Vicente Suazo Jr. and Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza.

The government grounded Sulpicio ships shortly after the MV Princess of the Stars capsized near Sibuyan Island in Romblon.

At least 800 passengers were believed dead. Many of their bodies have been turning up in other places.

The accident also ground fishing to a halt and deprived thousands of fishermen of their livelihood following rumors that fish near where the vessel sank could have been contaminated by rotting corpses and a deadly cargo of pesticides in the sunken vessel.

Divers reported seeing bodies still trapped inside the vessel and authorities just recently discovered the ship was carrying the deadly pesticide endosulfan.

The House of Representatives is investigating the sinking.

An attempt to stop the investigation of the Board of Marine Inquiry was recently junked by a court.(PDI)

MANILA, Philippines–Toxic pesticides inside the hull of the sunken MV Princess of the Stars could start leaking any time, European Union experts warned Friday.

Their findings showed “no observable oil sheen or environmental pollution” so far but they warned this could soon change.

The United Nations and the EU sent a three-man team of toxicologists to assess possible environmental damage from the pesticide endosulfan, which was intended for pineapple plantations of Del Monte Philippines and can be lethal to humans.

Releasing the findings, Transportation Undersecretary Maria Elena Bautista, who concurrently heads Task Force MV Princess of the Stars, said “there is really no assurance that the packaging will hold after more than a month.”

The passenger ferry sank during a typhoon on June 21 off Sibuyan Island with over 800 aboard.

As divers began retrieving bodies from the vessel, it was revealed it was also carrying a cargo of the deadly pesticide endosulfan, threatening the rich fishing waters around the island.

The government also found that the ship carried smaller quantities of four other pesticides and an estimated 50,000 liters of fuel oil.

More testing

Of the passengers and crew, just 57 people survived the tragedy and hundreds of bodies remain trapped inside the ferry.

Government agencies will continue to conduct tests off the waters around the shipwreck and the currents passing through the area to make sure the waters are still safe.

As a precautionary measure, a 5-kilometer zone has been set up around the shipwreck where boats and fishing are not allowed, according to officials.

Contingency plan

EU salvage expert Rune Stefan Berglind warned that the government must have contingency plans in place in case the ship starts to break up or if another typhoon hits the area.

He said the government’s handling of the situation was “well done so far,” but stressed that a master plan must be ready to remove the toxins from the water.

The UN and EU are willing to dispatch more experts to the country to help in addressing the problem if needed, officials said.

Please sign the contract

Bautista said the owner of the sunken ferry, Sulpicio Lines, had selected a foreign company to salvage the ship and the removal of the chemicals will start on Aug. 4 and last for about 30 days.

But Sulpicio Lines has yet to sign the contract with US company Titan Salvage, she added.

Bautista said the original proposal to retrieve the endosulfan and fuel from the ferry would cost $8.9 million (P393 million) but this had been lowered to $7.5 million (P331 million).

She said the government agreed to help process the work permits of Titan’s personnel and facilitate the importation of equipment for the retrieval in exchange for a lower asking price.

Phase 2

“If they (Sulpicio and Titan) sign a contract today, the earliest they can start to retrieve the cargo is Aug. 4,” Bautista said, adding that the transport department would follow up with Sulpicio Lines on the contract later in the day.

She said it would take about 30 days to complete the operation to first remove 10 tons of toxic pesticide before the bodies of an estimated 500 people can be retrieved.

“The first order of the day is to get the chemicals out, and the quickest (way) is just to remove it from where it is,” Bautista said. “After we remove the chemicals, we will proceed to the second phase, which is the retrieval of the bodies inside the vessel.”

To prepare for the massive forensic work ahead, she said the government would set up six 6-meter refrigerated vans and two air-conditioned work areas donated by Norway.

The government had sent DNA samples from 206 unidentified bodies and 600 possible relatives to a laboratory in Sarajevo that was set up to identify people missing from the Balkan wars in the 1990s. She said the test results might be available by the end of July.

‘They can do more’

Bautista also criticized Sulpicio Lines for not doing enough to salvage the ferry and minimize the damage.

“They can do more,” she said but declined to elaborate.

The sinking of the ferry has become one of the country’s worst maritime disasters and is just the latest in a string of sea tragedies involving Sulpicio Lines vessels.(PDI)