Sinking of vessel in 1983 remembered

CEBU - Twenty-five years since the sinking of the MV Doña Cassandra in 1983, survivors and families and friends of the victims will gather at the Redemptorist Church today to commemorate the tragedy.

According to the Good Shepherd Sisters, a Christian congregation in Cebu that is organizing the activity, many questions remain unanswered since the vessel sank at the shark infested waters of Bohol Sea on November 21, 1983.

At least 167 perished in the tragedy, which was blamed primarily on bad weather caused by typhoon “Orchid.”

Today’s Eucharistic commemoration, which will start at 5:30 pm, is intended for the real cause of the sinking to be already known.

“Testimonies of survivors have yielded to multiple theories on the cause of the accident but there really were no concrete findings and what makes the memories bitter are a few things known regarding the event and few questions that linger unanswered,” organizers said.

Based on GSS documentation, the bad weather at that time has delayed the ship’s departure from the Nasipit harbor in Agusan del Norte to Cebu City. It then sailed the next day, November 21.

GSS itself lost four of its sisters Mary Catherine Loreto, Concepcion Conti, Consuelo Chuidian and Virginia Gonzaga who have been honored — by the Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation. — Jessica Ann Pareja/JMO   (THE FREEMAN)