Daily Archives: 30 June, 2014

The Beached Ships of Tacloban City (Leyte)

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As a consequence of Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) hitting Tacloban City and the ensuing tsunami-like storm surge, a number of ocean-going ships were beached. These hulking ships are fast becoming a tourist destinations by themselves. During my visit to Tacloban, 8 months after Yolanda, I made it a point to visit some of these huge boats.

MV Eva Jocelyn (4 were pinned here)

MV Eva Jocelyn (4 were pinned here)

A total of 10 commercial ships were were swept inland during the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda. Eight were stuck in Rawis and Anibong Districts, one in Brgy. Diit, and one near San Juanico Bridge. In addition, two government vessels; a dredger found in Fatima Village in Brgy. 75, owned by the Department of Public Works and Highways; and a ship owned by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources; were also beached.

Beached Ships at Anibong (16)

Five more ships were beached in Quinapondan and Guiuan (Eastern Samar) – the MV Eastern Samar (Lilygene Shipping Lines Inc in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, owned by Mr. Generoso Yu), the MV Lady of Fatima (owner unknown); and 2 tugboats (MT Maharlika-A and MT Maharlika-B) and a barge (Vicente Uno) of Vicente Lao Construction based in Davao City.

Beached Ships at Anibong (12)

The MV Gayle (Unilink Shipping Corp., owned by Alfred Yanglua of Cebu), a big part of which was already floating on the water (making it easier to pull away from the shore), was removed from the shore last April in a salvage operation that lasted for 30 minutes. Afterwards, it was brought to Cebu City to be fixed (its propeller was destroyed and its engine needed to be replaced).

Beached Ships at Anibong (13)

Nine other ships have yet to be removed – the MV Eva Jocelyn (Eva Shipping Lines of Mandaue City, Cebu); the  MV RKK 1 (RKK Shipping Lines, Inc.); the MV Star Hilongos (Roble Shipping Corp., owned by Joey Roble of Cebu); MV David Legaspi (Candano Shipping Corp., owned by Elena Candano of Tabaco City, Albay); the MV Jaguar (Tacloban Oil Mill of Tolosa, Leyte); the MV Ligaya V (Avega Brothers Integrated Shipping Corp. in Makati City); the MV Lancer (Matsya Shipping of Cebu City);  the MV Tomi Elegance (Tacloban Oil Mill ); and LCT Rosman (owned by businessman Richmond Ng of Quezon City, Metro Manila).

Beached Ships at Anibong (17)
At Brgy. 68 (where the typhoon claimed 20 lives), we visited the 3,000-ton, red and blue MV Eva Jocelyn.  When the supertyphoon smashed through Tacloban, a dozen cinderblock houses were directly hit by the ship and 4 residents were later found dead, pinned by the ship. Now sitting on unstable ground composed of debris, this ship is tilting due to the movement of the deteriorating ground. This could crush surrounding makeshift houses that were repaired by their owners.  A bizarre sight was tourists having their picture taken right in front of this ship’s massive hull that flattened homes and killed people.

Beached Ships at Anibong (19)

However, these beached ships are temporary “tourist attractions” as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) wants the ship owners to retract, refloat or make into scrap their vessels by the end of January or mid-February 2015, otherwise, the PCG would salvage the ships at the owner’s expense.

The DPWH Barge

The beached DPWH dredger at Fatima Village

The owners, however, appear hesitant to immediately remove the vessels because of unfinished documentation for insurance claims.  The residents want them removed as they have been “imprisoned” by these cargo vessels. They are also a painful reminder to them and hinder the removal and cleaning of the debris as well as in restoring the devastated coastal areas.

Remembering the Victims of Typhoon Yolanda (Leyte)

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Palo town 8 months after Typhoon Yolanda

Palo town 8 months after Typhoon Yolanda

One of the most moving highlights of my return to Leyte, 8 months after super typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) hit the province, was our visit to the town of Palo, one of the most heavily hit places.

Palo Metropolitan Cathedral

Palo Metropolitan Cathedral

Still vivid in my memory was TV footage of the town’s Cathedral of Our Lord’s Transfiguration (which underwent a US$35 million renovation a year ago) and its convent where GMA 7’s Unang Hirit reporter Ms. Lovella “Love” Anover, a native of Alang-Alang, and 500 other people sought shelter at the height of Yolanda. They all watched in horror as the full force of the winds slowly tore off the roof of the newly-renovated cathedral.  The traumatized Love later broke down in tears while reporting live on camera.

Palo Municipal Hall

Palo Municipal Hall

Of the 76 churches in the Palo Archdiocese, only six remained intact. Palo back then was celebrating its 75th anniversary (diamond jubilee) as an archdiocese. When we arrived there, a new roof had already been installed but much still has to be done as it still needs a ceiling, the main door was still unrepaired and the broken glass at its windows still have to be replaced.  A new sight awaited us – a mass grave, fenced off by white ribbon and marked by flowers, for about 100 typhoon victims.

The partially repaired cathedral interior

The partially repaired cathedral interior

This scene was repeated when we dropped by the church of Brgy. San Joaquin. At the church’s de facto plaza, once a grass yard where youth groups would practice hip-hop dances, a much larger mass grave could be found.  Here, over 400 people were laid to rest. A statue of Jesus Christ of the Sacred Heart, with one arm outstretched and the other broken off, towers over the makeshift graves. Youngsters were playfully running around the graves.

Mass grave at cathedral grounds

Mass grave at cathedral grounds

At the height of Yolanda, a tsunami-like storm surge reaching 18 ft. hit the barangay.  Many drowned in the school beside the church.  Luckily, no one was able to seek shelter within the church as the strong early morning winds prevented the opening the church doors to residents.  They would have surely drowned. However, at least 25 children lost their lives at another evacuation center. Fr. Kelvin Apurillo, the parish priest, and his 11 sacristans who were trapped in the second floor of his house beside the church, all survived. However, some sacristans lost family members in the flood.

San Joaquin Church

San Joaquin Church

Each marker, with rolls of names (numbering from 2 to 20 with others too long to fit) etched by felt-tip pens on boards fastened to sticks, tells a story. The surnames listed are often the same – spouses, children, in-laws, etc.   Beside their names are their dates of birth, many born only past the year 2000 (the most vulnerable and helpless were the babies and young kids).  Often, the date of death is not indicated anymore as everyone here knows when all these people died – November 8, 2013.

The mass grave at the grounds of San Joaquin Church

The mass grave at the grounds of San Joaquin Church

The mounds of this sudden, eerie cemetery along the highway, some shallow (the holes dug were only thigh-deep) graves containing almost entire clans  (in one, 22 died out of 25 members of the Lacandazo family), are marked with tarpaulins or simple plaques and crosses and littered with candles (some lit), keepsakes of the departed (stuffed animals, toys, watches, bracelets, portraits, etc.) and offerings to the missed (plastic or real flowers, rosaries, etc.).

Children and babies were the most vulnerable and helpless

Children and babies were the most vulnerable and helpless

Fittingly, I said a short silent prayer over this final resting place of lives cut short by the same fate.  Each one was special.  They had names, families, friends and dreams.  May the loved ones they left behind continue on living amidst the ruins of their former lives.

The tarpaulin says it all

The tarpaulin says it all