Councilor Alvin Dizon said he wants the Cebu City Council to commend the “heroism” of the seaman who lost his right foot trying to rescue passengers of a banca that recently capsized, and to give him financial assistance.
Dizon said chances are slim that Payusan, 48, can return to his job as chief mate of LCT Golden Crescent with his partial disability.
Dizon, who was a classmate of Payusan in Cebu Central College (the old name of the University of Cebu), said he would also look for financial help for Payusan.
“I will try to ask help from UC president (Augusto Go) since he’s a UC alumnus. I will also ask friends from NGOs (non-government organizations) for livelihood assistance for Rudyard if he decides to go back to Misamis Oriental,” he said.
Dizon plans to sponsor a resolution during the city council’s regular session today to commend Payusan for his “heroic act” of being the first to respond to the sea mishap and to extend financial assistance to Payusan.
Acting Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella said the city is more than willing to extend financial aaid.
Labella himself survived the sinking of the Princess of the Orient in bad weather in a voyage from Manila to Cebu in 1998.
As of yesterday, Payusan was still confined at the St. Vincent Hospital, a private center which is also partly owned by Go.
His employer, Goldenbridge Shipping, committed to pay the hospital bills while Nolito Abapo, owner of the ill-fated motorbanca Mansan, also promised to give financial help.
Payusan was the first to jump into the water to attach a rope to the M/B Mansan which capsized in rough waters between Cebu and Camotes islands on Friday midnight.
His foot got entangled in the rope underwater. The force of the waves jerked the rope and separated his limb.
“Bilib ko niya kay nisulti siya nga three hours silang floating, naputol na iyang tiil, nya rough waters pa gyud. Pero wala siya natarantar. In fact, sige gihapon siya’g encourage sa mga pasahero nga iyang gitabangan nga ayaw lang mo kawala’g paglaom kay naay umaabot nga rescue,” Dizon said.
(I salute him. He said they had been floating for three hours, he had lost his foot and the waters were rough. But he didn’t lose focus. In fact, he still encouraged the passengers not to lose hope because help was coming.)
The victims, mostly vendors bound for the Pasil Fish Port in Cebu City, hung on to debris from the banca for about eight hours before they were rescued.
Dizon and Payusan both attended Cebu Central Colleges (now UC), taking up Customs Administration. Dizon said they were classmates in several subjects.
“Mao ni ang classmate nako nga ka-remember ko nga jolly bitaw kaayo. Nya karon, mo-manifest gihapon ba sa iyang pagkataw despite what happened (This is the classmate I remember was was very jolly. Despite what happened, he remains the same),” Dizon said.
“Even if he lost his lower leg, he’s still smiling. When I met him (Monday) afternoon in the hospita, malipayon kaayo siya, sige siya’g smile (He was still happy and smiling,” Dizon said.
Dizon graduated in March 1991, a semester later than Payusan, who graduated in October 1990 and proceeded to take a nautical course in Mindanao.
The councilor said he went to see Payusan at the hospital after receiving a text message from him.
Vice Mayor Labella said Cokaliong Shipping Lines should also be acknowledged since it was the crew of MV Filipinas Dinagat that pulled the victims out of the water and brought them to Cebu City.
MB Mansan had been plying the Bohol -Cebu route for the last 30 years. The accident happened amid a gale warning due to the southwest monsoon and typhoon Lando.
The banca’s owner has been cited for violations, including the lack of a Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC).