Government aids ferry fire victims

MANILA, Philippines — The Marcos administration and local governments have provided more than P700,000 worth of assistance to the passengers of the ship that caught fire off Baluk-Baluk Island in Basilan last Wednesday.

Citing a report by Senior Defense Undersecretary Carlito Galvez to President Marcos, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Basilan provincial government have distributed financial aid worth P640,000 and more than P71,000 worth of food and non-food items to the sea fire survivors.

Local authorities in Basilan and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao have also provided the mishap victims hygiene kits and clothing, the report added.

The Philippine Coast Guard has distributed meals while social welfare personnel have conducted psychosocial intervention to survivors staying at the DSWD Home for Women in Mampang, Zamboanga City. The Philippine Red Cross has given first-aid treatment to the passengers and has also provided cadaver bags.

“During the retrieval operations, it came out that out of the 18 bodies visually identified, only 17 actual cadavers were recovered from the scene. Subsequently, the said bodies were brought to Villa Arcega Funeral Homes in Zamboanga City for proper identification and disposition,” the PCO quoted Galvez as saying.

Galvez said the Office of Civil Defense and local agencies continue the accounting of casualties and survivors to process the necessary assistance and insurance claims. The military and coast guard are still providing support and assistance to the families of the victims and the community, the defense chief added.

As of April 1, authorities have reported 28 fatalities, 32 missing persons and 227 survivors from the incident. Two Navy multi-purpose assault craft, the first responders of the sea fire, are conducting search, rescue and retrieval operations.