Pumpboat’s crew, relief goods rescued off sea

A PUMPBOAT sent to deliver relief goods to the quake-struck town of La Libertad, Negros Oriental, almost sank but reached its destination after being rescued by pumpboat operators and military choppers yesterday afternoon.

Red Cross personnel had to throw sacks of rice into the sea to keep the boat afloat after big  waves at the Tañon Strait damaged the outrigger of the  “Agassi.”

The boat was  loaded with  relief goods and 80 people, including crew. The vessel had a capacity of 300 persons.

The incident is being investigated by the Cebu Coast Guard (CG) because the vessel sailed without their clearance, said  Coast Guard Commander Rolando Punzalan.

Ronda town Mayor Nonie Blanco said he helped arrange the the lease of the  pumpboat from an operator  in La Libertad after the  Red Cross and the office of Vice President Jejomar Binay contacted him to help  deliver relief goods there.

Blanco said he sent off Red Cross staff  at the Ronda town port located 81.5 kilometers southwest of Cebu City shortly after noon.

Several  persons boarded the boat just as it was about to leave the port.

“I don’t want the pumpboat boarded by people other than the Red Cross personnel but there were several others who jumped in just as the vessel was about to leave the port  for La Libertad,” Blanco told Cebu Daily News.

Pumpboat Agassi left the Ronda town port at 2:54 p.m. and was supposed to arrive in La Libertad at 3:16 p.m.

About  20 minutes leaving port, big waves battered the vessel, damaging its outrigger.

The pumpboat was towed to La Libertad port by another pump boat, which was  followed by three helicopters from the Central Command. It reached the town at 4:05 p.m.

Red Cross personnel told the mayor that they had to throw  sacks of rice into the sea to keep the boat afloat.

The relief goods were donated by the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP).

The pumpboat was owned by Romeo Alipan of  barangay Larena, Guihulngan town, in Negros Oriental.

Punzalan said the result of their investigation will be sent to the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) for possible sanctions against the owner and crew.

In Cebu City, the Cebu Archdiocese said they will offer prayers for the victims of last Monday’s earthquake in Negros Oriental.

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said he asked Msgr. Roberto Alesna, parish priest of the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, to solicit contributions from the province’s parishes for the victims.

Palma, also president of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said he instructed Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Julito Cortes to send the archdiocese’s assistance to the affected areas.

In a report published in the CBCP website, Fr. Gilbert S. Billena who coordinates the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) in Negros-Panay region said victims  are in dire need of food and other basic necessities.

Areas severely damaged by the 6.9 earthquake are the towns of Guihulngan, La Libertad and Tayasan in Negros Oriental. With Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol