Officials, rescuers mark first anniversary of Cebu maritime disaster

2Go employees light candles and offer flowers at the Carreta Cemetery. Mich Padayhag/CEBU DAILY NEWS

TALISAY CITY, Philippines—At least 50 persons on pump boats and outrigger canoes celebrated Mass Saturday in the waters off Lawis Ledge here where at least 116 people drowned after a cargo ship collided with a passenger ferry on August 16, 2013.

Fr. Patrick Medina officiated at the Mass in commemoration of the 1st anniversary of the collision of MV St. Thomas Aquinas of 2Go and MV Sulpicio Express Siete of Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corp. (formerly Sulpicio Lines Inc.).

Among those who attended the ceremony were Talisay Mayor Johnny delos Reyes, Talisay Councilor Dannny Caballero  and fishermen who were among the first to respond to the distress calls that fateful night and rescued a number of passengers.

After the Mass, the group then threw flowers into the water and prayed for the respose of the souls of those who died.

2Go was scheduled to offer Mass at its own memorial at Pier 4 in Cebu City. Officials of the shipping line were also  expected to offer flowers and light candles at the Carreta Cemetery in Barangay Calamba in Cebu City where some victims of the tragedy are buried.

MV Sulpicio Express Siete, a cargo vessel, was bound for Davao City while St. Thomas Aquinas, a passenger vessel,  was heading into port in Cebu City when they collided in the evening of Aug. 16, 2013.

The passenger vessel sank later with 20 tons of diesel oil and 120 tons of bunker oil. The sinking triggered a massive oil spill that polluted the coastline of the municipality of Cordova.

Last Thursday, the Cordova municipal government and some fisherfolk filed a case against 2Go and PSACC to compel them to pay P132 million for the complete rehabilitation of the town’s marine environment.

The fisherfolk also sought a separate payment of P81 million in damages to cover for their loss of livelihood caused by the oil spill.