ILOILO CITY — Prayers, flowers and thanksgiving programs marked the first anniversary of Typhoon Frank, which saw one of the worst maritime disasters in the country, when the M/V Princess of Stars sank off Romblon, bringing down with it around 800 passengers and crew.

Hundreds more were killed and thousands were displaced in Western Visayas, which still bears the pain over the loss of many lives, property and crops, a year after the typhoon.

Around 500 residents and officials of Iloilo City came to the commemorative program at the Jaro District Plaza, on Sunday, where a Mass was held for those who died.

At least 531 persons died in Western Visayas alone, including 226 who remain missing and presumed dead, when days of continued rains triggered flash floods on June 21, 2008, submerging many villages and towns especially in Iloilo City, and neighboring towns and Aklan province. At least 2,555 others were injured.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, who is in self-quarantine against the H1N1 flu virus, after arriving from a trip from the United States, sent a message lauding Ilonggos for their resilience.

“We have survived as a people and we have learned to cope with a disaster of such magnitude,” Treñas said.

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Raul Gonzalez Sr. recalled that Typhoon Frank was one of the serious calamities that struck the city.

“We must all learn from our painful experience,” Gonzalez said in a speech during the commemorative program.

Sen. Richard Gordon, chair of the Philippine National Red Cross who was also here for the activity, revealed in his speech that the PNRC donated around P75 million worth of housing materials for victims in Panay and built 1,604 homes. /Inquirer