Tragic death of boy scouts remembered

Fifty years ago today, a group of Filipino boy scouts died in a plane crash on their way to represent the country in the 11th World Jamboree in Marathon, Greece.

On July 28, 1963, the entire delegation perished with passengers and crew members of United Arab Airlines Flight 869 when the plane crashed into the Arabian Sea near India. The “Scout” streetsin barangay Laging Handa in Quezon City were named in their honor.

Scout Gabriel Nicolas Borromeo, who represented the Manila Council, was a scion of the Borromeo family of Cebu.

Visayas was represented by Scout Jose Fermin G. Magbanua of Negros Oriental.

The Egyptian airliner, a British-made Comet jetliner, was bound for Athens, Greece. The flight originated in Hong Kong and had a stop over in Bangkok, Thailand. The ill-fated plane carried 52 passengers and eight crewmembers. Among the passengers were the 24 Filipino boy scouts and scout officials en route to the 11th World Jamboree in Marathon, Greece.

According to eyewitnesses who were mainly fishermen from Mahd island off Bombay, India, the airliner plunged into the sea in one piece. Among the members of the Philippine scouting delegation, only five bodies were positively identified from the human remains that were recovered in the Bay of Bombay.

The Filipino delegation composed a happy bunch when it called on President Diosdado Macapagal on July 25, 1963, at the Malacañang Palace. Two days later the delegation took a KLM flight for Hong Kong to catch a connecting United Arab Airlines flight to Athens, Greece. The plane departed for Bangkok, Thailand, on the night of July 27, 1963, for a stop over and refueling.

During the courtesy call in Malacañang, delegation head Dr. Bonifacio Lazcano, introduced the members of the delegation. Among them were the Manila Boy Scout Council’s Dr. Florante L. Ojeda and Librado Fernandez, an assistant scoutmaster. Fr. Jose Ma. Martinez, SJ, a faculty member of the Ateneo de Naga, who was an assistant scoutmaster in Naga City, was the delegation’s chaplain.

The scouts who died in the plane crash were:Air Scout Observer Ramon Valdes Albano (Manila Council), Senior Scout Pathfinder Patricio Dulay Bayoran (Pasay Council), Air Scout Observer Gabriel Nicolas Borromeo (Manila Council), First Class Scout(FCS) Roberto Corpus Castor (Quezon City Council), Senior Scout Pathfinder Henry Cabrera Chuatoco (Manila Council), FCS Victor Oteyza de Guia (Baguio Council), Life Scout Jose Antonio Chuidian Delgado (Manila Council), FCS Felix Palma Fuentebella (Manila Council), FCS Pedro Hermano Gandia (Manila Council), FCS Antonio Mariano Limbaga (Zamboanga Council), Rover Scout Roberto del Prado Lozano (Dagupan Council), Senior Scout Pathfinder Paulo Cabrera Madriñan (Pasay Council), FCS Jose Fermin G. Magbanua (Negros Oriental Council), Star Scout Romeo Rafael Rallos (Quezon City Council), Senior Scout Pathfinder Filamer Santos Reyes (Cavite Council), Star Scout Wilfredo Mendoza Santiago (Manila Council), FCS Benecio Suarez Tobias (Tarlac Council), Eagle Scout Antonio Rios Torillo (Cavite Council), Star Scout Ascario Ampil Tuason (Manila Council), and FCS Rogelio Celis Ybardolaza (Quezon City Council).

Filipino people from all walks of life mourned the deaths of the 24 scouts and scouters. World leaders from Pope Paul VI to President Sukarno of Indonesia sent messages of condolence.

At the world jamboree in Greece, all the flags were flown at half-staff. The BSP sent a third groupto the world jamboree. The group was composed of Nicasio Fernandez of the Far Eastern University, Louis Santiago of the Mapua Institute of Technology and Guillermo Flores of San Beda College, which was the school attended by Scouts Jose A. Delgado and Felix Fuentebella, Jr.

The City Council of Quezon City renamed on April 24, 1964, streets in the Kamuning and Roxas Districts after the 24 scouts and scouters. At San Beda College in Manila, a memorial was dedicated in honor of Scouts Delgado and Fuentebella

In 1988,President Corazon C. Aquino declared the 28th of July of every year as Scout Memorial Day. /Inquirer and CDN Research