Scavenger swims, gets boat fare for Bohol

Ceferino Angco (front) of Carmen town in Bohol province enters the Cebu City Pier 1 Terminal together with one of his rescuers, Felix Angco (hidden behind) for the boat trip home.

With no money and no friends to help him in Cebu City, Ceferino Angco had no other way to visit his departed parents in Carmen town, Bohol province.

No other way that is unless he swam the 83.3 km (51.57 miles) distance from Cebu City to Carmen town.

And that’s what Angco did when he took off from the Malacañang Sa Sugbo at 11 pm last Saturday, Oct. 27.

“Moaksyon unta kog suway ug uli sa amo kay gusto ko modagkot sa akong mama og papa nga namatay na (I decided to take a chance because I wanted to visit my mother and father who died),” Angco said.

Unfortunately, the 47-year-old Angco, who lived as a scavenger in Cebu City, didn’t have the stamina to make the trip.

Tired and sore from swimming all night, he saw some styrofoam floating nearby and latched on to it.

For the rest of the evening until sunrise, Angco said he was afraid that a shark may pass by and eat him.

But then a Bantay Dagat patrol team from Talisay City saw Angco hanging on to the styrofoam at 8 a.m. last Sunday.

Ramon Dapat Jr. of Talisay City’s Fisher Sea and Ecological Care or FISECA said some fishermen near the area noticed Angco and offered to help but Angco refused.

Felix Angco, a Bantay Dagat Team Leader stationed in Canton Beach and not related to Angco, said they fetched the scavenger and brought him to his office where he spent the night.

“Kaysa maghimo daw kuno siyag dautan, mas maayo kunong mulangoy na lang siya, kay if naay makakita niya, maluoy niya, matabangan gihapon siya (Instead of doing something wrong, he said it was better if he swam because if someone would find him and take pity on him, they could help him),” Felix said.

Angco had no money and friends and didn’t own a cell phone to call relatives to borrow P500 to pay for a two hour fast craft trip to Bohol province.

Netizens in social media offered cash and aid for Angco after learning of his plight.

Eventually, Talisay City Councilor Antonio Bacaltos Jr. paid for his fare and Angco left Cebu City for Carmen town, Bohol at 1:30 pm yesterday.

The councilor said Angco told him that he stayed with his cousin in Barangay Labangon but a feud forced him to leave and live in the streets of Cebu City.