Ormoc LGU releases assistance to families of sea mishap casualties

Secretary to the mayor Gaudioso Ypanta hands over the cash assistance to Rodrigo Belarmino who lost his wife in the MB Kim Nirvana tragedy. Others in photo are (from left) social welfare asst. Enrique Caberos, Health Emergency Management coordinator Elsie Jaca and City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer Ciriaco Tolibao.

THE city government released cash assistance to the families of seven victims from Eastern Visayas who perished during the sinking of motorboat Kim Nirvana in Ormoc Bay on July 2. The assistance for every casualty is P6,600. Of that amount, P5,000 came from Vice President Jejomar Binay and P1,600 from an anonymous donor.

Baro dela Cruz received P13,200 for the loss of his live-in partner Abigail Salinas, 32 and son Jobert, 2. He actually lost three family members but his daughter Angela, 8 has not yet been found. Another son, Gilbert, 10 survived. The family resides in Simangan, this city.

Baro regretted that he received his share of the Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) which government grants to victims of super typhoon Yolanda. Upon receiving the P15,000 ESA, he decided to take his family on a vacation to Abigail’s hometown in Pilar town, Camotes Island, Cebu.

Baro wanted to go last July 4 considering it was his day off being a Saturday. But Abigail insisted to go ahead because it has been five months since she went home to Pilar. Her parents also kept nagging her to visit them. Baro gave in, gave her P3,000 and decided to follow them to Pilar on the weekend. Abigail and her children boarded Kim Nirvana that capsized on the fateful day of July 1.

Two other victims were Rosa Porol, 25 and her one-year and five-month old-son Christoff Labadia from the mountain barangay of Quezon Jr., here in Ormoc. The assistance was claimed by Rosa’s sister Ma. Nila Porol and Christoff’s grandmother Warlita Labadia. 
 

Another claimant, Rosalisa G. Salinas of Buenavista, Northern Samar is a survivor but her husband Lorenzo, 59 wasn’t lucky.

Rodrigo C. Belarmino of Lamanoc in neighboring Merida town claimed the assistance for losing his wife Leonarda, 40.

Felix Wenceslao of Donghol, here in Ormoc, whose sister Lourdes, 63 drowned also got assistance.