Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Encountering MV Karagatan on TV


* Howie Severino explores MV Kagaratan (from blogs.gmanews.tv)

The bulk of my work as a college instructor and travel times has consumed most of my waking hours. Although I am enjoying my work immensely, that activity should not be an excuse for me not to update Back Trails. I have actually a heap of travel tales and photos to share. And so hopefully I am doing a good start by sharing my experiences of knowing MV Karagatan.

After watching the documentary program of Howie Severino last Monday, I was practically left in awe. The realization that we still have that infamous, pre-Martial Law time MV Karagatan under our seas is one solid evidence that we still have a long way to go to understand many aspects of our country’s past. What makes this discovery more thrilling is the fact that the Martial Law period was a not-so-distant point in our history. I believe the showing of the documentary program will encourage more historical researches on Martial Law.

As a brief background, MV Karagatan was suppose to deliver arms to the members of the New People’s Army or NPA in their quarters somewhere in the dense forests of the Sierra Madre in the province of Isabela. But somehow the group was ambushed by the then Philippine Constabulary and the delivery failed. Howie takes Retired General Victor Corpuz (a former NPA member and one of those who knew about the delivery) with him and explores the waters where the ship was supposed to have sunk. Along the way they got to meet people who, in one way or another, have knowledge of the coming of MV Karagatan or have witnessesed some of the portions of that historic event.

On a personal level there is no doubt that I would want to get there and see MV Karagatan in person before it totally becomes a permanent part of the under water’s landscape.
                  

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