Your Love: Remembering the 1993 Bocaue Pagoda Tragedy


Your Love: Remembering the 1993 Bocaue Pagoda Tragedy
by Adrian Maramba

How can your persistence for a lifetime in the story about that? What's happening through the story about the wrongs of the past?

The Bocaue Pagoda Tragedy was a fatal accident that occurred on the 2nd of July, 1993 during the Bocaue Pagoda Festival in Bocaue, Bulacan, Philippines. The accident was the result of the festivities - a floating pagoda - sinking, resulting in the deaths of more than 300 people.

The Bocaue River Festival is an annual celebration held every first Sunday of July (formerly July 2, until 1993) in Bocaue, Bulacan, in the Philippines, in honor of the Holy Cross, the Mahal na Poon ng Krus sa Wawa, found in the river of the 2nd of July in the 1800s. The festivities involve a decorated pagoda on top of a barge surrounded by small boats accompanying it. A replica of the holy cross is placed at the top of the pagoda.

The Mahal na Poon ng Krus sa Wawa is a replica of the cross on which the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, is set on a pagoda, which is paraded down the river, led by a retinue of boats. The entire fluvial procession is colorfully decorated and hundreds of devotees from all over the Philippines gather to pay homage to the holy cross of Wawa. 

The festivities also include 9 days of the novena, which celebrates the rescue of the Holy Cross from the river of Bocaue. Devotees customarily douse each other with water from the river during the festival, especially during the procession. The density of the devotees forces some to swim alongside the pagoda when they cannot find a place for them in the pagoda.

On July 2, 1993, before 1:15 PM (PHT), the happiness of the celebration of the Bocaue Pagoda Festival turned into tragedy. The floating pagoda was carrying 750 people when it capsized and sank because of panic when its generator exploded after rumbling with 5 men because of the overloading the hundreds of devotees riding the floating pagoda and catching a lamp to the generator and to become explode. As of now, Almost 266 people are dead and 30 are missing.

Retrieval operations for the tragedy's victims took several days. Victims were checked for vital signs in different area hospitals. The bodies of the fatalities were identified at the town plaza and the basketball court served as a morgue. The casualties of the incident were believed to involve whole families.

According to the film "Bocaue Pagoda Tragedy" in 1995, starring Charito Solis, Robert Arevalo, Joel Torre, Romnick Sarmenta, Maricel Laxa, Harvey Gomez, Isko Moreno, Chanda Romero, Gardo Verzosa, Luz Valdez, and more. It was directed by Maria Saret. This movie is based on a true-life story that inspired the tragedy that struck in Bocaue, Bulacan on July 2, 1993. I watched the movie The Bocaue Pagoda Tragedy, based on a true story. I was singing and listening to the song: Your Love by Arnel Pineda, the theme from the Movie "The Love Affair". 

The Pagoda Festival Tradition was halted in 1994 until 1999, it was resumed in 2000, continuing up to the present, but in a small boat only. 

After 21 years, Church and local officials decided to revive the grand procession and building of a large pagoda for the 2014 edition of the festival after coming up with safety measures for the devotees. The decision is a bid to boost the local economy of Bocaue. A 48-foot or three-story pagoda that stands on top of three large boats rented from Malabon was built for the 2014 Bocaue River Festival. The ground floor of the pagoda covered 200 square meters. The wooden pagoda was reinforced by steel.

Only 150 devotees were allowed to board the pagoda at a time and each devotee was required to register and wear a life vest. It was previously announced that 250 devotees were to be allowed to board the pagoda.

For 21 years, devotees resorted to praying at the river in smaller boats. The Pagoda Festival has been returned to the people of Bocaue. I believe in the stories about faith and devotion. I need to pray for the Martyrs of the 1993 Bocaue Pagoda Tragedy. I appreciate the stronger Pagoda structure that will be not again on the wrong of the past.

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