20 Pinoy seafarers survive 8.2 magnitude quake in Chile

By Non Alquitran, The Philippine Star

Posted at 04/04/2014 2:54 AM | Updated as of 04/04/2014 2:54 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The all-Filipino crew of a cargo vessel cheated death during the 8.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Chile on Tuesday.
Twenty Filipino seamen led by Captain John Francis Rubio said they were left traumatized by the quake that shook their ship while unloading cargo at Port Mejillones.
Rubio, skipper of the 18,000-tonnage bulk carrier MV Fortune Bay, said his crew was still shook up and almost sleepless for the past two days because of the frequent tsunami alert warnings by Chilean authorities.
Rubio said they had just unloaded corn and wheat at Port Mejillones and were loading zinc and lead concentrates for delivery to Japan and Korea when the earthquake struck.
Two vessels were in port while others were anchored off pier waiting for their turn to unload cargo.
Rubio was talking to his wife Shirley on Skype when their vessel shook violently.
The skipper rushed outside to check and learned from his radio operator of the ongoing earthquake.
The radioman also relayed the order of the port control tower for them to leave for the high seas amid tsunami warnings.
Rubio ordered the vessel’s anchor raised while at the same time cut loose some 14 ropes tying the MV Fortune Bay to port.
The vessel was rushing out of port when the first tsunami struck.
MV Fortune Bay made it out in a record seven seconds with neither tugboat nor harbor pilot.
But because it was in a hurry to leave, the vessel left behind its 3rd assistant engineer, Joseph de Leon, who had gone sightseeing outside the port.
“The railings of the MV Fortune Bay were destroyed. But the Japanese owners of the vessel gave assurance that it would be fixed as soon as possible,” Shirley told The STAR.
As relayed by Rubio to his wife, the vessel’s all-Filipino crew were in total shock and were praying for their safety.
They stayed in the high seas until port control informed them that they could come back and resume loading cargo.
Rubio also received an email from De Leon saying he’s safe and sound.
According to De Leon, he was on his way back to port when Chile authorities prevented him from returning and instead brought him to an evacuation center on higher ground where he spent the night.
The ship’s agent escorted De Leon back to the vessel the following day.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more