Stranded cargo vessel’s crew seeks help from Antique gov’t

Stranded cargo vessel’s crew seeks help from Antique gov’t
Annabel Consuelo Petinglay May 16, 2019 https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1069950

SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique -- The ship captain of a grounded cargo vessel sought help from the provincial government of Antique because until now they were unable to leave the vicinity.

Ship Captain Romeo Pacres, in an interview, said on Thursday they left Mindoro last April 2 and was supposed to deliver 24,500 sacks of salt to their concessionaires in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, and Tagbilaran, Bohol.

On April 3, while they were in the vicinity of Antique province, the water started to seep into the ship through a hole, resulting in the grounding of their vessel.

The cargo vessel has been grounded for more than a month along the shores of Magcalon in San Jose de Buenavista.

“I made a distress call to the Philippine Coast Guard Antique station so they could rescue us,” Pacres said.

Pacres worked as captain of the cargo vessel of the 912 Samar Sunshine Company based in Cebu City for about six months only when the incident happened.

“I already communicated with our company in Cebu City and they told me that they are going to send a tugboat to tow the vessel,” he said, although until as of this posting time, there was no tugboat. My crew and I have rented a cottage along the coastline while we are waiting for help,” he said.

Of their 15 crew members, only seven were left and the rest went back to their office in Cebu to report.

“The sacks of salt that we have from our cargo have almost melted because of the duration of time,” he said.

“We would like to ask for help from the provincial government for we are running out of money even just for our food,” he said, adding that even their salaries are delayed.

The provincial government of Antique, through the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO), initially gave them rice and cans of sardines while they are processing their needed documents to avail of the financial assistance as persons in crisis in situation.

Pacres was accompanied by PCG Antique Station Commander Perlita Cinco when they went to the capitol to seek for help. (PNA)