Remembering Mama
Eleven
years ago today, I lost my mother in a sea tragedy. She was one of the
passengers of the M/V Viva Antipolo VII, which caught fire and sank
when it was only 30 minutes away from the port of Lucena City.
Before the accident happened, Mama and I had been preparing for my
first semester in the University of the Philippines. After we had
fulfilled the prerequisites for enrollment, she went back to Marinduque
to raise money for my tuition. While she was there, she received an
invitation for me to apply for a private scholarship grant. She
hurriedly accomplished the application forms, secured the required
documents, and sailed back to the city aboard the ill-fated ferry.
When rescuers found Mama’s body, she was clutching her bag that had
the scholarship application forms and some cash, among other things. Read the rest of this entry »
