Thrust into the limelight by the plane that crashed into the waters girding his hometown and took the lives of Interior secretary Jesse Robredo, pilot Captain Jessup Bahin-ting and flight student Kshitiz Chand, a Masbateño fisherman demonstrated bravery, a deep sense of community and cooperation to support the rescue and retrieval operations. At about 4:30 p.m., local fisherman Joseph Belda and his companion were about to cast their fishing nets at the sea near the coastlines of Barangay Ibingay in Masbate City when Belda noticed a small plane flying too low, obviously in trouble. Seconds later, seeing that the plane missed the airport runway and subsequently hovered over the sea, he lost no time steering his boat to the where the plane was heading-the plane skimmed at the sea... its engines stopping.

Sabangan, D. (2012, September 26). Saving people's lives is part of a fisherman's calling. The Manila Times, p. A7.