A Facebook page has passed off the photo of a ship that ran aground in Tacloban City at the height of supertyphoon “Yolanda” in 2013 as one supposedly showing the dilapidated condition of Ormoc Port in Leyte during the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.
The June 10 post of Duterte Social Media Supporter also erroneously credited the Duterte administration solely for the rehabilitation of Ormoc Port.
The text overlay on the supposed before-and-after photos reads “AQUINO BEFORE” for the top photo showing a rundown pier and “DUTERTE AFTER” for the bottom photo showing a rehabilitated port. The post claimed both photos depict the port in Ormoc.
A reverse image search of the “AQUINO BEFORE” photo shows it was shot by Fernando G. Sepe Jr. and Jonathan Cellona of ABS-CBN News in Barangay Anibong, Tacloban City in the aftermath of Yolanda.
The photo, which appeared in a 2018 ABS-CBN online article, was captioned:
Bgy. Anibong became the poster image of the destruction in Tacloban City when ships ran aground during the storm surge, sweeping houses along the way. Now, informal settlers are back in the area that has been declared a No-Build Zone.
Google Maps confirms that the “DUTERTE AFTER” photo in the Facebook post is indeed that of Ormoc Port. A copy of the actual photo was also posted on the Department of Transportation's Facebook page.
Records show the Aquino administration had earmarked P91.2 million for the facelifting of Ormoc Port as part of a P556 million program to upgrade seven ports it unveiled in October 2012.
Duterte Social Media Supporter’s post has garnered 3,500 likes, 263 comments, and 3,600 shares as of writing. Created in October 2015, the page has garnered 257,409 likes and 282,340 followers. (SJH)
References
ABS-CBN News. (2018, November 8). Yolanda's path: Then and now.
Duterte Social Media Supporter. (2021, June 10). AQUINO VS. DUTERTE [Facebook post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=3915080101879390&id=876861462367951
Duterte Social Media Supporter. (2021, June 10). Ormoc Port Before and After [Facebook post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/Duterte-Social-Media-Supporter-876861462367951/photos/pcb.3915080101879390/3915079678546099
Google. (n.d.-b). [Google Maps Ormoc Port Terminal]. Retrieved June 21, 2021, from https://goo.gl/maps/WA4S6snveYWy36mj6
Official Gazette. (2012, July 25). DOTC-PPA to spend an additional P556m to upgrade seven ports.
Philippine Ports Authority. (2014). PPA 2014 annual report. https://www.ppa.com.ph/sites/default/files/annual_report/PPA%20Annual%20Report%202014.pdf