8 teachers among 28 dead in Iloilo-Guimaras sea tragedy
By CJ Juntereal
Published Aug 4, 2019 09:35 pm
By Tara Yap and Martin Sadongdong
ILOILO CITY – Eight teachers were among those who perished after three passenger boats capsized Saturday along the Iloilo Strait, the body of water separating Iloilo City and the island province of Guimaras.
A Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) rubber boat conducts search and rescue operation after three passenger boats capsized August 3, 2019, along the Iloilo Strait, a body of water separating Iloilo City from the island province of Guimaras, which is seen in the background. (TARA YAP / MANILA BULLETIN)
Five of the eight were teachers in Iloilo province. Provincial Board Member Jason Gonzales confirmed to Manila Bulletin that four of them – Ma. Zeny Anilao, Lynlyn Janolino, Ivy Grace Labordo, and Maria Emilie Legarda – were assigned at Lambunao National High School (LNHS) in Lambunao town. The fifth casualty was George Buenavista of Agcuyawan Kalsada Elementary School in Barotac Nuevo town, Iloilo province.
The remaining three casualties were Filipino teachers working in United Arab Emirates (UAE) but were in the country for vacation. They were identified as Jaquelyn Alferez, Andrew Valenzuela, and Eden Perales. The three were with a group of UAE-based Filipino teachers who toured Panay and Guimaras Islands.
The five teachers from Iloilo, all master’s degree students at Guimaras State College, were in Guimaras island Saturday to process requirements for their August 17-18 comprehensive examination.
Pinoy Gonzales told Manila Bulletin that Legarda’s husband RD was also in the ill-fated passenger boat but he survived.
The Western Visayas regional office of the Department of Education (DepEd) has issued a statement sending condolences to both families and the communities where the five teachers served.
Twenty-seven people have been confirmed dead as of Sunday night while six remain missing. Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Regional Director Jose Roberto Nuñez said that the Philippine Navy boat has arrived from Cebu to augment the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in searching for the missing passengers.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) clarified on Tuesday the death toll in the sea tragedy on Iloilo Strait last Saturday has reached 28, and not 31 as earlier reported.
“We have rectified the information. It’s not 31,” said Commodore Allan Dela Vega, PCG commander for Western Visayas region.
The body of another passenger of the ill-fated M/B Jenny Vince, one of the three boats that sunk in Iloilo Strait due to bad weather on Saturday, was found by the Philippine Air Force (PAF) in the waters off Guimaras Island Monday morning, bringing the latest death toll to 28.
Major Aristedes Galang Jr., Air Force public affairs office chief, said members of the PAF's 505th Search and Rescue Group were aboard a Super Huey II aircraft while conducting a search, rescue and retrieval operations when they spotted the body of the 28th fatality floating on Guimaras Strait around 8 a.m.
The body of the victim was eventually fetched by Coast Guard personnel after coordination. The victim was later identified as one Romeo Baguio Sr.
According to authorities, Baguio's family was based in Cebu, and was just on vacation in Guimaras when the accident happened.
Baguio was brought to the West Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City for temporary safekeeping.
On Saturday, the bodies of five family members of Baguio – Angelina, Rommel, Danelle, Jay Arven, and Romeo Jr. – were also found by authorities.
National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) Executive Director Ricardo Jalad said he has already requested the deployment of C-130 planes from the PAF to assist in the transfer of survivors and retrieved bodies to Batangas, Cebu and Mindanao areas.
Galang said the PAF’s Tactical Operations Group-Iloilo transported hundreds of stranded passengers from Parola Wharf to Lapuz Port in Iloilo City via KM450 and M35 trucks.
Authorities were still conducting search, rescue and retrieval operations along Iloilo-Guimaras Strait and Dumangas waters to try and account for the remaining missing persons.
Support for teachers
The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday lamented the death of five teachers in the Iloilo-Guimaras sea tragedy and called on the stakeholders to give the bereaved families the “adequate support” they need.
The DepEd confirmed that five teachers from the Western Visayas Region died when three motorboats capsized on August 4 in the Iloilo-Guimaras Strait.
DepEd also extended its “sincerest condolences” to the bereaved families of four teachers from Lambunao National High School and one teacher from Agcuyawan Calsada Elementary School, Barotac Nuevo.
DepEd noted that all of the teachers who were killed came from Guimaras State University to “process their graduate school requirements.”
DepEd said, “one teacher survived the tragedy” based on the reports it gathered.
DepEd said that the officials of the Schools Division of Iloilo “immediately travelled to the town of Dumangas to attend to the needs of the victims and their families.” As it expressed its “wholehearted commitment” to the teachers who were killed in the incident, DepEd also called on its field offices, partners, and stakeholders to “ensure that the bereaved families receive adequate support as they go through this difficult time.” (With a report from Ina Hernando-Malipot)
A Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) rubber boat conducts search and rescue operation after three passenger boats capsized August 3, 2019, along the Iloilo Strait, a body of water separating Iloilo City from the island province of Guimaras, which is seen in the background. (TARA YAP / MANILA BULLETIN)
Five of the eight were teachers in Iloilo province. Provincial Board Member Jason Gonzales confirmed to Manila Bulletin that four of them – Ma. Zeny Anilao, Lynlyn Janolino, Ivy Grace Labordo, and Maria Emilie Legarda – were assigned at Lambunao National High School (LNHS) in Lambunao town. The fifth casualty was George Buenavista of Agcuyawan Kalsada Elementary School in Barotac Nuevo town, Iloilo province.
The remaining three casualties were Filipino teachers working in United Arab Emirates (UAE) but were in the country for vacation. They were identified as Jaquelyn Alferez, Andrew Valenzuela, and Eden Perales. The three were with a group of UAE-based Filipino teachers who toured Panay and Guimaras Islands.
The five teachers from Iloilo, all master’s degree students at Guimaras State College, were in Guimaras island Saturday to process requirements for their August 17-18 comprehensive examination.
Pinoy Gonzales told Manila Bulletin that Legarda’s husband RD was also in the ill-fated passenger boat but he survived.
The Western Visayas regional office of the Department of Education (DepEd) has issued a statement sending condolences to both families and the communities where the five teachers served.
Twenty-seven people have been confirmed dead as of Sunday night while six remain missing. Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Regional Director Jose Roberto Nuñez said that the Philippine Navy boat has arrived from Cebu to augment the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in searching for the missing passengers.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) clarified on Tuesday the death toll in the sea tragedy on Iloilo Strait last Saturday has reached 28, and not 31 as earlier reported.
“We have rectified the information. It’s not 31,” said Commodore Allan Dela Vega, PCG commander for Western Visayas region.
The body of another passenger of the ill-fated M/B Jenny Vince, one of the three boats that sunk in Iloilo Strait due to bad weather on Saturday, was found by the Philippine Air Force (PAF) in the waters off Guimaras Island Monday morning, bringing the latest death toll to 28.
Major Aristedes Galang Jr., Air Force public affairs office chief, said members of the PAF's 505th Search and Rescue Group were aboard a Super Huey II aircraft while conducting a search, rescue and retrieval operations when they spotted the body of the 28th fatality floating on Guimaras Strait around 8 a.m.
The body of the victim was eventually fetched by Coast Guard personnel after coordination. The victim was later identified as one Romeo Baguio Sr.
According to authorities, Baguio's family was based in Cebu, and was just on vacation in Guimaras when the accident happened.
Baguio was brought to the West Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City for temporary safekeeping.
On Saturday, the bodies of five family members of Baguio – Angelina, Rommel, Danelle, Jay Arven, and Romeo Jr. – were also found by authorities.
National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) Executive Director Ricardo Jalad said he has already requested the deployment of C-130 planes from the PAF to assist in the transfer of survivors and retrieved bodies to Batangas, Cebu and Mindanao areas.
Galang said the PAF’s Tactical Operations Group-Iloilo transported hundreds of stranded passengers from Parola Wharf to Lapuz Port in Iloilo City via KM450 and M35 trucks.
Authorities were still conducting search, rescue and retrieval operations along Iloilo-Guimaras Strait and Dumangas waters to try and account for the remaining missing persons.
Support for teachers
The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday lamented the death of five teachers in the Iloilo-Guimaras sea tragedy and called on the stakeholders to give the bereaved families the “adequate support” they need.
The DepEd confirmed that five teachers from the Western Visayas Region died when three motorboats capsized on August 4 in the Iloilo-Guimaras Strait.
DepEd also extended its “sincerest condolences” to the bereaved families of four teachers from Lambunao National High School and one teacher from Agcuyawan Calsada Elementary School, Barotac Nuevo.
DepEd noted that all of the teachers who were killed came from Guimaras State University to “process their graduate school requirements.”
DepEd said, “one teacher survived the tragedy” based on the reports it gathered.
DepEd said that the officials of the Schools Division of Iloilo “immediately travelled to the town of Dumangas to attend to the needs of the victims and their families.” As it expressed its “wholehearted commitment” to the teachers who were killed in the incident, DepEd also called on its field offices, partners, and stakeholders to “ensure that the bereaved families receive adequate support as they go through this difficult time.” (With a report from Ina Hernando-Malipot)