Asingle white rose and candle adorn each vault of the 47 unidentified victims of the Aug. 16 ship collision of MV St. Thomas Aquinas and a cargo vessel.
“So far no families have visited since Thursday,” said caretaker Tommy Tampipi at Carreta Cemetery in Cebu city.
“I hope they come.”
In each tomb, vault numbers are inscribed on a black gravestone. This will facilitate exhumation of the remains once positive identification has been made based on a successful matching of DNA samples of relatives and victims.
Over 800 passengers were on board the 2GO vessel nearing Cebu harbor when the MV St Thomas Aquinas was hit in the rear by MV Sulpicio Express Siete off Lauis Ledge in Talisay City, killing at least 160 people.
Most of the passengers came from Surigao, heading for Manila port as the final destination.
2GO Shipping posted two guards at the tombs since Thursday and placed the flowers and candles in time for the Solemnity of All Saints and the Feast of All Souls.
Mass was celebrated at 3 p.m. yesterday at the cemetery and novena Masses began at noon at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral for the souls of the departed, said Lito Salvio, vice president of 2GO.
At least 21 ship passengers are still missing.
This is why 41-year-old Eduard Libanon of Valenzuela, Metro Manila isn’t visiting the cemetery.
His wife and two children, who were coming home from a vacation in Nasipit, were all aboard the MV St. Thomas Aquinas.
“I can still feel they are alive,” the construction worker said in Tagalog in a phone interview.
“Maybe the family of my wife in Agusan del Norte offered prayers and Mass for them .”
If he does come again to Cebu, Eduard said he hopes his family will be found at last, alive or in a casket, so he can bring them home.