I am still mourning today. I feel so sad and low. Perhaps, the sight of nine coffins arranged in parallel lines of three and grieving families seated beside the painted boxes are still fresh in my memory. Or maybe, it’s the stories of their loved ones about their premonitions before their departed left home. Somehow, I am also thinking about the effect of band-aid policies being implemented to make it appear that something has been done to prevent the same from happening again.Yes I am referring to the tragic Iloilo Strait maritime accident that claimed the lives of 31 people.
It’s been two weeks since the accident occured and I still can’t move on. Maybe because until this day, there are still a lot of insensitive people whom I personally knew who instead of helping the grieving public heal would rather add insult to injury.
I can’t help but write about it and maybe start the process of accepting the fact that the world is in fact full of pretentious and stupid people who simply want to make themselves important and fill their egos in times of tragedies.
There was this person who wanted to be known as somebody close to Malacanang who pushed her way to the side of the President when the latter visited the remains of the victims in Iloilo City. It was not long after the person claimed and announced publicly that she is busy as the financial support given by Malacanang was entrusted to her and that she needs to meet every family of the victims. Later it was found out that no less than the President handed the kins of the victims cash and yes, amazingly, a mobile phone. Oh yes, the person was quick to declare that the accident happened because of the boat design acting like a seafarer or a maritime engineer or expert of some sorts.
I cannot understand at the same time why there is a need to parade the dead bodies and their coffins in one place just for the President to condole and extend sympathies to their families. Is it for the safety of the President? I am constrained to believe that it is the grief and the loss of the remaining family members that matters and not the safety of the President otherwise he could have stayed in Malacanang and instead send a Mass card or cash help to the families. It’s like making a desperate PR stunt for the President. Like it was good for those in the city but what about those in Guimaras whom the President failed to visit because of the very bad weather. We can’t blame him because of the stormy weather but looking at the grieving families who endured and waited the whole day inside the gymnasium only to be told that the caskets will be returned to their homes because the President can no longer make it, one can only sympathize and join them in their frustrations.
PR spin masters of any sitting leader must refrain from parading and using the dead for their political ends.
On the other hand, there is also an acquaintance who posted on Facebook his picture lying on the shore identifying himself as another dead victim and laughed about his post when his friends started asking if indeed it was a true image. I mean, there are still really mean and insensitive people alive who can afford to poke fun of the loss others experience?
Until this day, there are a lot of people who would rather dismiss the whole incident as purely a mistake of the authorities and worst, of the boatmen of the ill-fated vessels.
Here comes the decision of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) to limit the travel time from Guimaras to Iloilo vice versa from six o’clock in the morning to six o’clock in the evening in order to prevent the same accident from happening again.
Did they really study such order? Did they consider those who study and work at the city and must go home after class and after work? Given the heavy traffic at the city and the schedule of work and classes, did MARINA actually use their limited brains in making such order?
Interestingly, they also ordered the boats to roll up their covers each time they sail. I mean seriously? Did they ever consider the plight of the numerous senior citizens and babies and the sick who seek medical attention everyday in the city? Like rain or shine, the people of Guimaras must endure a roofless sea travel?
Why can’t they simply order that whenever Iloilo Strait experiences stormy weather, take note stormy is different from rainy weather, all wooden boat travels are suspended and travel is redirected to the roll on roll off vessels and a mandatory extension to 10 o’clock in the evening of the last trip?
They also prohibited cargoes other than handheld bags. Unfortunately, the leaders of Guimaras simply agreed. What about the economic activities in Guimaras? Did they even consider the impact of their stupid and horrendous memorandum to the cost of living in Guimaras? What will be the impact of this to the tourism industry where visitors with almost certainty would bring home loads of pasalubongs? If you are the tourist and you will pass by the Buenavista Wharf in going home and you have two big cartons of pasalubong, would you still rush to Jordan Wharf just for you to bring your boxes? Remember, in Buenavista, there are no more cargo boats and Jordan cargo boats are scheduled according to the load they carry. If you opt to ride the roro vessel, there are no stevedores who could carry the load to the vessel. What good will this bring to the tourism industry? What about the agricultural products? What about the goods for consumption in
Guimaras?
Why is Congreswoman Lucille Nava mute? Why is Governor Samuel Gumarin silent about the memorandum order of
MARINA?
This is also the best time for the political leaders of Guimaras to consider providing investment incentives to RORO operator(s) who can provide at least six vessels that would travel Iloilo Strait continuously. What’s the pitch? No less than 25000 people travel Guimaras-Iloilo vice versa daily. It must serve both Buenavista and Jordan.
It’s the ultimate end of what we have started that I mourn if these situations will continue.
