Super Typhoon Yolanda

OPERATION BLUE BOAT: a consortium of “Ateneo Grupo ‘58” classmates and friends

Story and photos by Carlos A. Arnaldo
Capiz-Philippines
February 19, 2014




It is difficult to imagine how fragile life really is. Perhaps it takes a super typhoon like Yolanda to measure how weak the human person is against the brutal force of nature. In the Visayas, Yolanda’s three story storm surges were throwing houses, boats and people against the rough trees. Her 325 km/h winds were ripping windows and doors and tearing off roofs. Her slapping gusts were beating boats to shreds and tossing them to the deep seas. What is your protection against a storm surge taller than your own house? Against winds driving faster than any car or bus?


As the Visayas transits from relief to rehabilitation, one often asks, how can we help rebuild this economy? How provide that ‘bootstrap’ so people can pick themselves up and move on without dependence on others, whether those others are fellow Filipinos who have sympathized and want to help their brothers, or whether they are people from other parts of the world who have read and seen the claws of Yolanda, despise her handiwork, and want to give a helping hand even from afar.

And how do this in a simple, organized practical manner without too much administrative and financial overhead? What can simple individuals do without the paraphernalia of administration?

A group of classmates from Ateneo Grade School  ’54, High School ’58 and College ’62, self-styled as Ateneo Grupo ‘58,  through personal contributions, initiated the Grupo ‘58 Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) Rehabilitation Mission as a follow through of it’s earlier Grupo ’58 Relief Mission to some barangays of Northern Cebu and costal barangays of Capiz.  Many of the wives joined this project, Dra Cita Jose with her husband Irwin, Cora Ortiz, Estella Nivera, Tessie Centenera and Naomi Olivares

Across the seas in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, Deacon Leandro Centenera, a classmate of Ateneo Grupo ’58, and Fr. Michael Shea appealed to their Prince of Peace parishioners to help the fisher folk in the Visayas recuperate, rebuild their lives and revitalize their livelihood. His parishioners, particularly members of the Knights of Columbus and ANCOP/ Couples for Christ, were very generous, and very quickly US$25,000 (Php 1,111,500) was in the kitty.  In Philippine terms, it was a handsome contribution and growing. Several individuals and local organizations such as the Salt and Light for Christ Community  and Radiowealth Finance Company also contributed generously. But money was not the most important factor.

To revitalize the livelihood of the fishing community of Barangay Butacal, Municipality of Pan-ay, Capiz, various members of Ateneo Grupo ‘58, spearheaded by Tony Ortiz, Danny Olivares and Timmy Nivera, organized and coordinated  the local and US based team players and supervised the making of wooden fishing boats.  Ateneo Grupo ’58 was assisted by volunteer members of TEAM GK Capiz, the barangay fisher folk, the staff of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR, the Capiz Archdiocesan  Commission for Social Action and Pan-ay Mayor’s office.  With additional donations, technical support and in order to speed up production, standardize the quality, size and life-span of the fishing boats, the next batch of boats shall be made of fiberglass.


Instead of “paying back” for the boats, the fishermen beneficiaries agreed to “pay forward,” that is, they each contribute a percentage of their catch, estimated at Php 500.00 a month. These new funds would then be applied to the making of additional boats for their remaining community members, and also so that the project would have an extended life. The overall plan calls for 22 boats in the coming months.

January 29 was the big day, for the christening of the boats and blessing by Deacon Leandro and Fr. Benjie Faraon, San Nicholas Parish of Pawa, the consortium of Ateneo Grupo ’58 classmates and friends gathered at the gymnasium of the Municipaity of Pan-ay where five of the boats were having their final fittings and being painted. They bore the names of their contributors, YoDa Ploor, Prince of Peace, Salt and Light for Christ, The Shea Family, San Mateo, St. Francis of Assisi and  San Leandro.

Pan-ay Vice Mayor Dr. Gualberto Bernas, delivered a short supporting message and issued the fishing licenses and permits to the fishermen with the new boats.

Students of Congressman Ramon Arnaldo High School performed two originally choreographed dances expressing the pains and joys of fishing out at sea, and the happiness of sharing the catch. They recounted to the author the horrors of Yolanda, ‘hanggang tuhod ang baha . . . natangay ang atop, no, ang bubong!’  (The waters came up to our knees and the winds just ripped off the roof.)

“What do  you need in order to rebuild your houses and help your parents get back to work?”

“Tulong-tulungan, po.” (We shall help each other.)

Tulong-tulungan—that seemed to be the pervading spirit among the people. They help each other rebuild their houses. They share the catch.

Without stopping for lunch, the Ateneo Grupo ‘58 team, together with members of TEAM GK Capiz and Deacon Leandro and his wife Tessie with their guests David and Yolanda Ploor from Albuquerque, NM, USA  then took a large baroto from the river shore and motored an hour to Tinagong Dagat where the other three boats were already operational.

Deacon Leandro and Fr. Josel V. Beltran chaplain of the Jesus of Nazareth  Mission Station at San Antonio Resort in Roxas City began blessing the boats. Unexpectedly, the barangay offered the visitors a sumptuous lunch of crabs, shrimps, and shell soup-quite a luxury on an empty sandbar!  Before boarding the boats to return, the Barangay Butacal representative, Barangay Treasurer, Rolando de Pena, called upon Deacon Leandro. “Gusto po naming pasalamatan kayo.” And he gave the Deacon a small model of the blue boat!

The moral of this story is simple, keep it focused, keep it small, work closely through classmates, friends and local groups, build in self-help, tulong-tulungan and long term viability – and underneath, a very deep abiding faith. Operation Blue Boat is just that. And each one can see the effect of his contribution,  motorized blue boats fishing to feed their families and the community.