Christopher Bulig, a crew member of the ill-fated MBCA Amejara, remains emotionally fragile after his rescue at 10:46 a.m. on January 20 following nearly two days at sea, according to Gemma dela Cruz, a social welfare officer with the DSWD-Davao. Confined at Camp Panacan Station Hospital, Bulig is undergoing psychosocial first aid and recovery but struggles to recount the incident, often becoming overwhelmed with emotion. He mentioned the boat capsized at dawn on January 19. Dela Cruz noted that Bulig, the family’s breadwinner, has been reunited with his parents and siblings but requires time and space to recover fully. Lt. Commander Jerome Bryan Mauring reported that Bulig suffered dehydration and could not be injected due to shriveled veins. Spotted drifting between Sarangani town and Davao Occidental, Bulig had removed his life vest to swim for help. Grateful for his survival, he feels guilt over the 14 others still missing and remains hopeful for their rescue. The Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao deployed 24 floating assets, including BRP Malawi, BRP Panglao, and a Philippine Air Force S-70i Black Hawk Helicopter, to assist in the search and rescue mission in Davao Gulf. An investigation is ongoing to determine the boat’s sinking location.
