Memories of those who perished in the recent Laguna Lake boat tragedy remain in the hearts and minds of their fellow villagers in Barangay Gulod, Talim Island, Binangonan, Rizal.
Barangay Gulod Chairman Reynante Arambulo told Manila Bulletin that the residents will always remember the lives of their fellow villagers who died in the sinking of M/B Aya Express on July 27.
Arambulo shared the stories of Mary Ann Apiado, Lucrecia Rivera, Lina Gondraneos, Kyla Corral, Connie Rivera, Noah Rivera and Fe Marie Dizon, whom he personally knew being the leader of Barangay Gulod.
He said all them were all residents of his barangay except for Dizon, a health worker.
Chairman Arambulo said Lucrecia, who was the president of the senior citizen association in their island barangay, had desired to help her co-elderly in their wish of getting the right benefits from the government.
Lucrecia, who was in her late 60s, left Barangay Gulod early morning on July 27, together with her fellow senior citizen leader Dorina Libramonte of neighboring Barangay Kaytome, to submit documents at the branch of the Social Security System (SSS) in Tanay.
Arambulo said Lucrecia was a dedicated leader of the senior citizens in the village, who always thought of the welfare of her fellow elderly in the community.
Arambulo learned that Lucrecia and Libramonte were among the last few passengers who hopped into the ill-fated motorized boat before the water craft left the Binangonan Port a few minutes before 1 p.m.
Apiado, a licensure board exam passer, left her island residence as she was preparing her application papers to work as a teacher.
Corral, who was a newly graduate of senior high school, went to the mainland of the town to pursue her college education at University of Rizal System-Binangonan.
Noah Rivera was also a newly graduate of the island’s elementary school, according to Chairman Arambulo.
Although she was a resident of Jalajala, Rizal and not from Talim Island, Fe Marie Dizon, had been working as a health worker at the Binangonan Rural Health Unit in Barangay Gulod for some time.
Jose Hernandez, head of the Binangonan Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, told Manila Bulletin that the office of Mayor Cesar Ynares and Rizal Governor Nina Ricci Ynares have reached out to the victims of the boat mishap, assuring the families of appropriate government assistance.
There were 27 fatalities and 44 survivors, according to the Rizal Police Provincial Office.
(Photo from Binangonan Municipal Government's Facebook page)
The motorized boat capsized on its way to Barangay Janosa at Talim Island in Binangonan shortly before 1 p.m. on July 27.
Two Philippine Coast Guard personnel were relieved of their post and the boat captain, identified as Donald Añain, is facing charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide.