To Farm is to Survive

He was a survivor of a plane crash happened in the mountains of Sablayan 53 years ago.

It was the most horrible peace-time air tragedy in Occidental Mindoro history where 26 people, mostly prominent residents of San Jose including the plane’s 4 crew, died after the Philippine Airlines’ DC3 Flight No. 785 reportedly crashed into a ravine of the northern slope of Mount Rabañgan that fatal Wednesday morning of June 29, 1966.

Based on the investigation conducted by authorities then, the PAL DC-3 took off from Mamburao Airport, which actually came from Manila after its stop-over at the capital town was bound for San Jose Airport. Official document has it that the probable cause of the accident was the "misjudgment of the terrain clearance of which resulted (in) the collision with trees.” That time, all the flights going to San Jose-Manila and vice-versa drop and pick passengers in Mamburao.

The crash site is believed to be part of Sitio Yapang (now part of the area called Palbong) inside the property then of Sablayan Penal Colony. One of the two lucky survivors was an Engineering student at FEATI University named Federico “Erick” Aguilar, eldest son of the late Joven and Conching Aguilar, 90, a farme parents from Barrio Bubog. The ill-fated aircraft which was found by the rescuers beyond repair first flew in 1944 and it was a twin engine Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92.

The other survivor also a farmer from San Jose identified as Donato Magpiling. His whereabouts are now unknown. Most of the passengers who died in the mishap were businessmen and professionals. He (Aguilar) survived because of the fresh water he drank from the Rayusan River and the abundance of vegetation in the mountain. Aguilar’s story instantly became talk of the town, how he survived for days with wounds all over his burned body before he was found by the rescuers. He endured the hardship by eating raw wild vegetables in the woods.

But Federico “Erick” Aguilar, at more than 70 years of age is still alive and kicking. He took up high school at the Divine Word College of San Jose in the early 60s. He stopped schooling at age 13 to help his Ilocano father tend their farm. That fatal air accident did not stop him from finishing college and started his career afterwards.

He later married Carol Liong of Baguio City giving him two loving and talented children, a boy and a girl. Their children have now a family of their own. The eldest is Dr. Lielanie Mae Liong Aguilar-Pascasio who lives in Florida, USA and Dr. Errol Charles Liong Aguilar now resides in Doha, Qatar. Erick lost his Carol in 1995 but remarried in 2002 and exchanged marital vows with Elena Salangsang, a widow from General Santos City. He has five grown-up step-children. Erick and Elena live and permanently reside in San Mateo, Rizal.

In 2009, Erick (some close friend call him Einstein, his dead ringer, according to them) retired from his work at the Kanlaon Broadcasting System-Radio Philippine Network as news cameraman. Now a retiree, he goes abroad almost every year and have a 6-month with visit to his grandchildren, either in Florida or Doha.

As I write this blog entry, Erick is busy in his new life project. The OMG or Oh May Gulay. The construction of the farmers' vegetable market is now underway. When asked how did he came into this business idea, he said, “Our Barangay (Bubog) is very rich with sea and farm resources kaya lang binabarat ng town market retailers.” What is OMG in reality? “It is a place where farmers can sell their freshly picked products”, he added. The site of OMG is in Barangay Bubog at the opening of the feeder road going to Glendenning Resort. It is expected to open in a few months time.

The scars in his body proved that he indeed survived his deepest wounds. That in itself, for him, is an accomplishment and they bring to mind something else, too. They remind him that what life has inflicted him left him stronger and more resilient.

"To farm is to survive." This made Federico Aguilar better equipped to face the present…

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(Photo from Erick Aguilar’s Facebook page showing he and his mother Conching on her 90^th birthday last February)