ROMBLON SEA TRAGEDY
16 persons still missing
(Published in the Peoples Journal, Vol. XX )
By Rose Garcia

       At least 16 persons were still missing in the Romblon sea tragedy that happens last Tuesday night. This is according to the Philippine Coast Guard Rear Admiral Reuben S. Lista. "I want to clarify conflicting reports. 16 are still missing and we have three vessels searching for them." He said the number of M/B Sea Gold, a chartered boat. which sanked off Romblon may face charges of reckless imprudence resulting to homicide.

     Janeth Madrid of Calabasahan, Concepcion, Sibale, may be held responsible for various offenses resulting in the death of two persons while inuring others.Lista said M/B Sea Gold traveled without necesaary permits from either the FCC or the Maritime Industry Authority. The boat was made of bamboo. Aside from not registering the vessel, Lista said the ferry is also being utilized for fishing and hauling of cement. It has vests.

     The banca was hired by a group of students for P8,000 to ferry them from Sibali town to Looc and back. Due to the strong current and unstable weather condition, the boat tilted ot one side prompting passengers and crew tojumped into the water. The passengers, mostly students, blamed their teacher for insiting on leaving despite bad weather conditions.

     A certain "Aunt Noring" a vice mayoralty candidate lead the students outside of the boat but she ended being trapped where the vessel sank off. Reports reaching the transportation and communications department revealed that Korean Capt. Lee Hea Yong, skipper of M/V Sunny Road, spotted the survivors as they were cruising the Tablas Strait. Yong said the ship's crew were lowering the the whaleboat when seaman Nemesio B. Burgos accidentally slipped and was hit on the head. He died a day after.

     Meanwhile, the FCC cchief said the 28 survivors arrived at the South Harbor in Manila yesterday at about 6 p.m.  on board M/V Sunny Road. They were immediately treated by doctors and personnel at the PCG medical office and the members of the Philippine Auxiliary.

       The survivors and casualties of the Romblon sea mishap are tthe following:

            A total of 12 sequential and successive shots  and can be viewed in "The Island of Sibale-From top of the World"   were made in capturing the panoramic and breathtaking view of the whole island of Sibale. Vicente "Enteng" Fajutagana using an ordinary instimatic camera willingly risked his life in doing so.

     Without any safety belt, Enteng, as friends call him,  bravely scaled the wind-swept 120 ft. guyed-wire telecommunication tower of Sibale Telecom. The all steel structural tower is firmly planted at the peak of Mt. Banderahan, the highest mountain in Sibale, with an approximate height of 1,160 ft. above sea level.

     Enteng is the tower/communication technician of the Sibale Telecom. He is responsible in attending and connecting telephone calls coming from and to Sibale. A very dedicated and hardworking employee that even calls made on unholy hours, Enteng attended to it without any hint of complain. His role is very important that without his involvement successful calls are hardly possible.

     On June 30,2001, at 3:30 p.m., with inclement weather hovering over the island, Enteng secured his feet in the topmost portion of the tower. At that position with the wind blowing in fluctuating speed and frequency, Enteng knew fully the danger he is facing. One false move and it is goodbye to Sibale, goodbye to all of us. But he has great resolve in facing many danger in his life. Dangers that steeled his determination to do things which in his assessment would in return contribute for the accomplishment of things benificial to all of us.

     Racing against time, he carefully clutched and focused his camera and made the following dramatic photographs. He started from Barangay Poblacion going right passing Barangay San Pedro, Calabasahan, Sampong, Bakhawan, Masudusud, Masadya, Dalajican and San Vicente. He ended his shots from
where he started.

Municipality of Concepcion Official Election Results
By Limuel Cipriano

       The winners of the election for the Municipality of Concepcion held on May 14, 2001 are the following:

     Click 2001 Election Results for details.

Sibale Telecommunications System
By Jose F. Rafols

      While the Sibale Telecom System, a non-profit endeavor,  came to being with the objective of serving the people of the Island of Sibale with affortable communciation services, this objective cannot be achieve without state-of-the-art telecommunications equipment. Some of our kasmanwas have spent time and money to have the communication tower located in Mt. Banderahan  operational. The type of equipment used for this services is shown in "Sibale Telecom System Current Capabiltiy". And these people like Limuel Cipriano who coordinates and managed the acitivities of the Sibale Telecom System, with Vicente Fajutagana, Julius F. Fabreag and Manfredo "Mokong" Fabreag who operates the system unselfishly providing their services and spent considerable number of hours a day to make sure that contacts among relatives and friends,  domestic and internationally are connected. It is a big task to upgrade the system if access to modern technology is what we are aspiring for.

      We are therefore appealing to our kasimanwas to provide support to this worthy cause so that our people in the Island of Sibale will enjoy the benefits of modern technology in the form of accessing to clear television signals, wireless computing hub and cellular communications capability. By doing so you are helping our kasimanwas learn more from the outside world. As one of the television advertising says "The more you know, progress   prevails".

      Donations can be in the form of telecommunications equipment (such as transmitter, amplifiers, testers, antennae, batteries, etc.) or money addressed to Sibale Telecom System c/o Limuel Cipriano, e-mail address,  bonono27@yahoo.com or ononob72@hotmail.com or to Rico Rafols, e-mail address, rfrafols@yahoo.com.

Fallarme 2000 Grand Reunion Financial Statement
ByLimuel Cipriano

      The Final Financial Report for the Fallame 2000 Grand Reunion held last May 2000 has been released.   This report can be viewed by clicking Financial Statement of the Fallarme 2000 Grand Reunion.



American Priest Who Loved the Philippines (RP)
World Alive By Fr. Bel R. San Luis, SVD
(Reprinted from Manila Bulletin, Opinion/Editorial Section dated Monday, December 4, 2000 )

IF there was any foreigner who truly loved the Philippines, it was Fr. Dennis McKillip, SVD.

"To prove his love," Fr. German Mehler, SVD, Fr. McKillip's successor as parish priest of Sibale, Concepcion, Romblon, said in his homily, "he became a Filipino citizen, abrogating his American citizenship. He went to Congress. Dennis was examined in Tagalog. He swore allegiance to the Philippine flag, singing 'ang mamatay ng dahil sa iyo! (to die for your sake).'"
* * *
Fr. Dennis died a Filipino indeed last November 23, 2000 at the age of 79. In his inimitable way of doing things, when newly-naturalized, he mimeographed copies of the geographical map of the island of Sibale with the caption: "Sibale 100% Filipino"!

Fr. Mehler further reminisced: "In one of his visits to Sibale, he pointed at some babies and kids saying, 'Ito ang kuya ko, ito ang ate ko (this is my older brother/sister, proclaiming himself the "bunso," the youngest of all the inhabitants of Sibale"(referring to his "birth" as Filipino in May 1983).
* * *
Let me quote excerpts of Fr. Mehler's homily in the Funeral Mass for Fr. Dennis McKillip. "We always love a man who likes to ridicule himself and to joke about himself. We always love a man who thinks little of himself like John the Baptist: "He, Jesus, must increase; I, Dennis, must decrease."

"Fr. Dennis would not like to be the center of this celebration. Let the LORD be at the center stage.
* * *
"We thank and praise the Lord for having given Dennis to the Philippine Church. More than 50 years he labored in the Philippines: as teacher and administrator, at San Carlos University, Cebu City, at Aklan College, Kalibo, at Sacred Heart Seminary, Palo, Leyte, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary, Tagbilaran, Bohol; at Holy Name College, Tagbilaran, Bohol; at Naujan Academy, Oriental Mindoro, and most of all as parish priest of the Immaculate Conception Parish, Sibale Romblon for the length of 35 years; finally, prior to his retirement, as chaplain of the Pink Sisters, Polo, New Washington, Aklan.
* * *
"We thank and praise the Lord for this humble man who stuck it out faithfully, being shipwrecked occasionally with his 'banka,' which he steered himself as amateur pilot.

"He sank three boats, but he himself never sank. Dennis would not give up. The word 'Surrender' was not found in his dictionary. Dennis was not a crybaby, given to self-pity. He knew that sacrifice and hardship were part of missionary life.

"Once he crawled out of the ocean with a bloody face, walking back to the convento over rocks, hills and just accepting the fact that another boat was gone.
* * *
"Dennis stood his ground in the island, defending the education of the young, suffering the ire of the late Mayor Rafols, who disagreed with him. He was even punished by the political leader to the extent of being struck by him. Dennis swallowed his pride and never thought of revenge.

"Dennis McKillip had a mathematician's mind. The late Bishop William Duschak, SVD scrutinized the financial books of the parish and there he found an error in addition: "Dennis," he said "I thought you were a wizard in Math." Smilingly Dennis replied: "Bishop, I am a genius only in Higher Math!"
* * *
"Let us praise and thank the Lord for Dennis' childlike faith and humor: 'If you don't become like little children you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.'

"Fr. Adeodato Malabanan, himself an octogenarian, commented upon seeing Dennis in the coffin: Dennis is not beatified, but he is beautified: a joke he would also feel and imitate the beauty of a simple soul dedicated to the Lord all his life.

"Dennis wants us to be happy in the service of the Lord! He wants us too to enjoy the medicinal effects of a bottle of beer. Sadness was alien to him.
* * *
"Before leaving Sibale, Dennis begged me, "Please let me stay on for another month. I want to complete exactly 35 years in Sibale! See how much he loved the people.

"Let us thank the Lord for the love and cheerfulness He has shown us in the life of Dennis McKillip."