00:00 [shouting]
00:06 [explosion]
00:07 [shouting]
00:09 Tragedy.
00:10 The passengers of a passenger boat in Laguna Lake
00:13 were caught in the flood.
00:15 [shouting]
00:18 Their boat capsized in the middle of the journey to Talim Island.
00:22 [shouting]
00:25 More than 20 people drowned and lost their lives.
00:29 [shouting]
00:30 This is a disaster in Kalinawan.
00:32 [shouting]
00:34 There are many casualties.
00:35 There's a waiting shift.
00:38 [shouting]
00:41 One of the passengers tried to save the other.
00:44 [explosion]
00:47 How did the tragedy happen and why did the boat capsize in the middle of a bad time?
00:53 [explosion]
00:57 The heavy rain caused a severe flood in some provinces in Luzon and Visayas.
01:03 [explosion]
01:05 In Ilocos Norte, rescue operations were difficult because of the high water level.
01:10 [explosion]
01:11 The strong flow of rivers destroyed the famous bridge in Ilocos Sur.
01:17 [explosion]
01:22 In Baguio City, a house was caught in the flood because of the soft soil.
01:28 [explosion]
01:29 In Bernham Park, some boats capsized because of the heavy rain.
01:34 [explosion]
01:35 Trees also fell.
01:37 [explosion]
01:40 This drone shot shows the landslide in Bontoc Mountain Province.
01:45 [explosion]
01:47 Some residents in Cagayan were forced to climb the roof because of the high water level.
01:53 [explosion]
01:58 How wide was the landslide and what was the government's response to the affected people?
02:06 [explosion]
02:08 This happened in the middle of the night.
02:10 There were many casualties.
02:12 [music]
02:17 According to the investigation of the Philippine Coast Guard or PCG and the Philippine National Police or PNP,
02:23 [music]
02:25 On July 27, 2023, at 1.08 p.m., a passenger boat, Aya Express,
02:31 left Pretiel Port in Binangon, Rizal and headed to Talim Island.
02:35 They will sail to Laguna Lake.
02:37 [explosion]
02:39 Seventy passengers and the boat's crew were on board.
02:43 [explosion]
02:44 Some passengers were able to get off at a barangay.
02:47 [explosion]
02:49 They sailed again.
02:51 [explosion]
02:52 But around 2.50 p.m., they were hit by a strong wave.
02:57 [explosion]
03:00 Because of this, the passengers went to the left side of the boat,
03:04 which was the cause of its complete sinking.
03:07 [music]
03:09 [whistle]
03:10 [shouting]
03:17 [shouting]
03:23 In this video, you can see the rescue of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office or MDRRMO
03:30 to the survivors of the disaster.
03:32 [shouting]
03:38 In this terrible disaster, many were drowned and lost their lives.
03:44 [explosion]
03:45 The boat's crew also lost their sandals and other items.
03:50 [music]
03:52 The passengers were immediately taken to the port.
03:55 [shouting]
04:01 One of the passengers tried to save the other.
04:04 [explosion]
04:05 In a few moments, the boats and rescue boats will see the other passengers who were killed.
04:11 In another video, you can see the retrieval of other boats.
04:15 [shouting]
04:17 This is terrible. This happened in Kalinawan.
04:19 There are so many disasters.
04:21 [whistle]
04:22 [explosion]
04:24 Reporters Notebook went to the Kalinawan village where the boat sank.
04:31 We were able to continue the retrieval operation of the Philippine Coast Guard.
04:37 They are searching Laguna Lake hoping to find another body.
04:42 The sinking Aya Express was also placed next to the Panglang Lawa.
04:47 [whistle]
04:50 One of the first responders was the Kalinawan village's police officer, Aldrin.
04:55 When I was a child, I was really overwhelmed.
04:59 Life was hard.
05:02 I was forced to survive.
05:06 I couldn't do anything.
05:08 I couldn't find a solution.
05:12 These are the remains of the survivors.
05:18 Our villagers also retrieved them so that they can be returned to their families.
05:24 This is the cargo of the boat.
05:26 The two passengers who were next to the boat sank were given life jackets.
05:35 But they were allowed to sit, so no one could leave.
05:40 They were cornered inside.
05:42 A few moments later, a man came to the village's port to claim the remains.
05:53 One of the passengers on the sinking boat was Regine's husband.
05:57 Brown.
05:58 Sling bag.
05:59 Sling.
06:00 It's like that.
06:01 Let me see.
06:02 There it is.
06:08 What's the name of the person who left this?
06:12 Me.
06:13 Regine was saved from the tragedy.
06:17 Leo video-called his wife to ask her to return the bag.
06:22 Here it is.
06:24 Here it is.
06:25 Where should I put it?
06:27 Here.
06:28 I gave it to you.
06:29 Yes, yes.
06:30 Wait.
06:31 Wait.
06:33 Sorry.
06:37 Here it is.
06:38 This is Regine.
06:39 Okay.
06:41 I can interview her.
06:42 Regine.
06:44 Regine.
06:45 My ID is here.
06:46 It's here.
06:47 There it is.
06:49 Thank you, Lord.
06:50 Okay.
06:51 That's life.
06:52 It's really hard to lose.
06:56 Thank God, he was saved.
06:59 Of course, I was saddened by the loss.
07:01 Sometimes I overthink.
07:04 What if he was one of those people?
07:07 What if I and my family were one of those people?
07:10 It's okay.
07:12 You're okay now?
07:14 You're calm now?
07:15 Yes.
07:16 I'm calm now.
07:17 I'm so happy because I'm with my family now.
07:21 Because of the victim, I'm so tired.
07:24 It's hard.
07:25 While the other passengers' belongings were left in the barangay of Kalinawan,
07:32 most of the victims were from the sinking of the boat,
07:35 residents of Talim Island.
07:37 Reporters headed to the island to get to know the victims.
07:44 The weather is fine today.
07:49 It was noticed that the Philippine Coast Guard's staff
07:54 are more strict in inspecting the passengers' boats before letting them sail.
08:00 We should have let them sail.
08:03 Our team traveled to Talim Island for an hour.
08:18 With the help of a barangay official,
08:22 we were able to get a list of those who were saved from the sinking.
08:28 The team met one of the survivors, Mylene Blanco, in Barangay Buhangin.
08:33 Mylene is a Sari-sari store owner and she went to the town to buy her goods.
08:41 It's normal for us to do that.
08:43 I always go to the market every other day.
08:45 But sometimes, I didn't think that it would happen.
08:50 We're used to the high tide,
08:54 but I never thought that it would happen to us.
08:59 Mylene told us that while on the trip,
09:03 she felt the strong high tide pressure until 3 in the afternoon.
09:08 I felt it when it was moving to the side.
09:15 It was like it was asking us.
09:19 I was shocked that we were sinking.
09:24 The boat was moving to the side.
09:26 We were shouting that we were sinking.
09:31 Because there were many people holding onto our feet.
09:34 We were in a mess.
09:36 I was holding onto them.
09:37 I forced myself to stay away from the people.
09:38 That's how I survived.
09:39 I went to the place where I could hold on to them.
09:43 When I saw the dead being dragged one by one,
09:46 I felt like it was heavier than a pig.
09:49 It was like a single pig.
09:54 They didn't wear life vests when they traveled.
09:58 We had many passengers and many cargoes.
10:02 But when she was sick,
10:03 there was no Coast Guard on duty the day they arrived.
10:07 Lately, there's always a Coast Guard.
10:09 But lately, there's no Coast Guard to remind us.
10:14 They don't let many passengers leave.
10:17 But at that time, there was no Coast Guard.
10:20 Until now, Mylene still feels the trauma of the tragedy.
10:26 I couldn't sleep.
10:28 I woke up at 2 o'clock in the night.
10:31 All the events were happening again.
10:33 I just felt like crying.
10:36 That's how I felt.
10:40 My whole body aches.
10:42 I felt like I was being hit.
10:44 I thought this is how we fight death.
10:49 On the first day of the tragedy,
10:58 Ruby Gondraneos, 49 years old,
11:00 was the first to arrive at the barangay.
11:03 She was with her 14-year-old son who was on a boat.
11:07 The child was saved, but her mother was not.
11:11 Her husband, Efren, still couldn't accept what happened.
11:16 [Music]
11:38 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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