No ban to cross Tarlac river after drowning incident

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—The town government of San Jose in Tarlac province has not barred residents and tourists from crossing the Pangasahan River despite the drowning of six people returning from a charity mission there on Sunday, a local official said.

Ramil de Vera, San Jose tourism officer, said local officials did not issue any directive to close a route via Pangasahan River in Sitio Baag in Barangay San Pedro because Aeta communities use it as a shortcut.

“[The route is] within the indigenous peoples domain, which is beyond our control,” De Vera said by telephone.

He said the Aeta regard the Pangasahan River as a sacred site and ritual venue.

Crossing the river cut the travel time to and from Sitio Baag by foot by an hour, he said. The route via the Monasterio de Tarlac area takes two to three hours.

He said a plan was being studied to build a concrete bridge over the river.

The river swelled after strong rain there on Sunday, sweeping 15 volunteers in an outreach activity. Five men and a woman, aged 22 to 27, drowned with their bodies found downstream of a dam in the town. Nine others were hurt.

For the safety of visitors, De Vera said they should register at a tourist center in Barangay San Pedro so they could be informed on the terrain and safety measures.

The center collects P30 as environmental fee and P300 to P500 as fees for guides.

In Zambales, the bodies of two men and a boy who went missing on Monday amid a strong current in the waters off Candelaria town were recovered on Wednesday morning, police said.

Insp. Bryan Christopher Baybayan, chief of Candelaria police, said the body of Jayson Torno, 8, was found in the shallow waters of Barangay Sinabacan in Candelaria at 11 a.m.

Earlier that day, Joel Corpuz, 41, was found dead in Barangay Malabon in Candelaria while the body of Ernesto Estella, 56, was recovered in Barangay Bolitoc in nearby Sta. Cruz town.

Torno went swimming with three other children in the waters of Barangay Malabon when they were swept out to sea by a strong current at 3:30 p.m. Monday, reports said.

Corpuz tried to rescue the children but was able to pull only three of them to safety. He returned to the water to save Torno but he went missing minutes later.

Estella, a fishermen, jumped into the water to save Corpuz but was also swept away by a strong current. Tonette Orejas, Allan Macatuno