CEBU CITY – “I didn’t want to see someone die in front of me.”
Seaman First Class Ralph Barajan, who is assigned as vessel safety inspector at the Philippine Coast Guard Station-Southern Cebu, which is based in Oslob, Cebu, had this mind when he single-handedly saved 53 passengers from a sinking fastcraft last Thursday some five nautical miles off the shore of Sibonga, Cebu.
“At that the time, I also started to feel weak. There was chaos and everyone was panicking already. I just stayed focused and composed because I didn’t want to see someone die in front of me,” Barajan said when he was presented to reporters at the PCG-Central Visayas headquarters yesterday.
MV Siargao Princess came from Loon, Bohol and was supposed to dock in Sibonga when it encountered huge waves.
“It was around 9:30 a.m. when huge waves started battering the vessel. The vessel started to take in water from the front portion. I asked all the passengers to calm down because they were already panicking and there were no crew guiding them,” said Barajan.
As the front portion of the vessel started to submerge, Barajan directed all the passengers to transfer to the area while also assisting them put on life jackets.
“There were children who wore life jackets that were for adults so I asked the crew to provide them with the appropriate vests,” said Barajan.
The vessel had seven crew members at the time.
As the vessel continued to tilt, Barajan decided to go to the upper deck to check why the skipper had yet to declare an “abandon ship.”
“I was already frustrated but the captain said it was still manageable but I knew it was not. I went down to check on the passengers and went back to the upper deck again to talk to the captain. There was already a commotion. I even shouted at the skipper for not declaring an abandon ship,” said Barajan.
When the skipper finally declared an abandon ship, it was Barajan who assisted the passengers to transfer to the life rafts.
“There was one old woman who refused to jump off the ship. She was clinging on me. I lost my balance when I was hit by the door when the vessel was battered again by huge waves,” said Barajan.
Sensing danger, Barajan was forced to strike the old woman’s hand so she could let go.
“I kind of punched her hand for her to let go because the boat was already sinking. I was the last one to jump and got nearly swallowed by the water when the vessel sank,” he said.
While waiting for rescuers, Barajan said he tied the life rafts altogether so that no one will be swept away by strong current.
“The waves were so huge that they rolled over us. I told the passengers not to panic, taught them how to breath properly when waves were already all over us,” he said.
No one died during the incident and it was because of Barajan’s heroics, according to most of the passengers who were safely brought to Pier 1 in Cebu City by the rescuing vessel from PCG.
“It was a rare heroic act by Barajan. He guided the passengers, he guided the crew, he was even the one who insisted that the ship should already be abandoned. We are very thankful to him, the situation could have gotten worse if not for his heroics,” said Lt. Jr. Grade Michael John Encina, information officer of the PCG 7. (Calvin D. Cordova)