NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – With nothing but hope to hold on to, the family of missing ship captain Elimar Jucal waits for news, days after the Singaporean-flagged MV Devon Bay capsized off Pangasinan near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

Maruja Jucal, his mother from San Enrique, Negros Occidental, told Rappler on Monday, January 26, that she has not lost hope of seeing her son again.

“My son is a rescuer, a mountaineer, a biker. He knows how to manage himself amid disaster,” she said. “I am positive that he had really survived, but was only carried away by waves somewhere else.”

She expressed confidence in her son’s survival: “I know him well. That’s why I never felt nervous,” Maruja added.

The 47-year-old Jucal, who is from Luisville Subdivision, Fortune Towne, Barangay Estefania, Bacolod City, is one of four missing Filipino crew members of MV Devon Bay.

Jucal, the eldest of three children of Maruja, a businesswoman, and Ely Sr., a retired policeman, was commended by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) for what he did. He headed the ill-fated ship and was the last person to abandon the cargo tanker, making him a “hero” in the eyes of PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, who lauded him in an interview with ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol on Monday.

Despite the crisis, Jucal’s family continues their daily routines and monitoring. His two younger brothers, Elmar and Ely Jr., are also seafarers, currently working in Japan and Spain, respectively.

Outside his professional life, Jucal is known among friends and peers for his approachable nature and leadership qualities. Married with three sons aged 20, 12, and 10, he is regarded as friendly and down-to-earth, especially among members of the Thunderbugs Motorcycle Club in Bacolod.

His bike buddy, Rolito “Boyet” Espinosa, said Jucal is one of the best members of their organization.

“He’s a friendly person, family man and very professional,” Espinosa told Rappler.

An alumnus of Iloilo State College of Fisheries-Sagay (now the State University of Northern Negros) in Barangay Old Poblacion, Sagay City, Negros Occidental, Jucal has also been known for his leadership as commandant of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) during college.

“He is a responsible son and brother to us. [For] his family, [he is a] doting father to his three sons, and, above all, a loving spouse to his wife, Rhaya,” his mother said. “As a kid, he dreamt of becoming a seaman, a ship captain. And he attained such a dream.”

While the family waits, authorities continue to coordinate search and rescue efforts. Jucal’s mother remains optimistic: “I know he is now in a place where there is no communication signal. I know he is now in an isolated place. I know he will be home soon. That’s my gut feeling as a mother,” she said.

On Sunday, January 25, the PCG received 15 Filipino crew members of the cargo vessel from the Chinese coast guard. The Chinese also handed over the bodies of two Filipino crew members found off Pangasinan.

The Chinese assisted in the rescue after the Singaporean-flagged vessel overturned near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea while en route to China. The ship was carrying iron ore.

Loaded with 50,000 tons of nickel ore, MV Devon Bay, manned by 21 all-Filipino crew members, departed from Gutalac, Zamboanga del Norte, bound for China when it encountered trouble off the Pangasinan coast near Scarborough Shoal between Thursday night and Friday morning, January 22-23. The distress call was received on Thursday evening.

Investigators cite liquefaction of the cargo and rough weather as likely factors in the capsizing. – Rappler.com