Ang batang asawa ay yakap-yakap ang kanyang anak, at ang kanyang mga luha ay tila naging ilog sa pag-aabang kung ang kanyang asawa ay makakabalik pa mula sa malawak na karagatan. Napakatrahedya ng kuwentong ito—ipagdasal natin sila.

In 2005, Gel and Nessie’s paths crossed. Gel was reported to be a student at Misamis Institute of Technology. Their family quietly lived in the town of Kolambugan in the province of Lanao del Norte. Since childhood, Gel’s parents dreamed of having a better life.
So after graduating college, Gel thought he would have a better chance at a good life if he pursued a maritime career. He enrolled in further studies. After a few years, armed with his diploma as a marine engineer, Gel applied for work and quickly got hired.

While he was gaining experience to eventually apply overseas, Gel met Nessie May from Leyte. She reportedly graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Office Administration. Even though they were always far from each other, they managed to keep their relationship strong.

After a few years, despite many challenges in their relationship, the two eventually married and had two children. As their family grew, so did Gel’s determination to go abroad and provide a better life for them. He worked harder and, in 2008, was lucky enough to be hired—though it was hard, he left his wife and children behind.

According to an interview with Nessie, her husband Gel always made sure to call several times a day. Even on non-special occasions, he sent gifts so the kids would feel their father was always thinking of them.
Nessie also shared that unlike other Filipinas who worry about their seaman partners being womanizers, gamblers, or alcoholics, she never had that problem. After work, Gel would go straight to his cabin just to call his family.

Photos show Gel as a friendly person. Over the years, he had already been to many countries. Nessie made sure his hard-earned salary wasn’t wasted. To help manage their finances and support Gel, she opened a small business.

Their partnership was admired by others for how they handled money and their relationship. When Gel’s contract ended, he always made sure to bring home lots of chocolates for his family. Eventually, Nessie also decided to become a barangay councilor.

Whenever her husband came home, he had only two months in the Philippines before going back to sea, so he always brought his children to school and took the family out on outings. He even helped in the business as a delivery driver.
When in the country, his salary was never wasted on alcohol, cigarettes, or gambling—Gel focused on his children and family. Nessie said Gel never had trouble making friends, no matter where he was stationed, because he was naturally kind.

If he had Wi-Fi access, Gel would always call during break time, lunch at 3 PM, and before going to bed. In 2024, Gel was reported to be working as a deck fitter on the Rio Tinto Marine vessel, specifically on the bulk carrier RTM Zenghe.
According to the contract, the vessel would travel from China to Western Australia. This route wasn’t new to Gel—he had been to Australia before. Nessie said that due to Gel’s excellent performance, he had been working at Rio Tinto for five years.

Crewmates described him as kind, gentle, open-minded, and always willing to share his expertise with new seafarers. On December 24 of the previous year, even though he was working, Gel did not forget to video call Nessie during Christmas Eve.
He showed her the toys he had bought as Christmas presents, promising to bring them home after his contract. On Christmas Day, they still managed to greet each other with joy, even though they were apart.

He told Nessie he might not be able to call soon because the route they would be taking had no signal. After December 25, Gel indeed stopped calling.
The next day, on December 26 around 8:00 AM, a man rushed to Nessie’s house. He introduced himself as someone from Gel’s agency, Anglo Eastern. After reading the letter, Nessie burst into tears and screamed. Her relatives rushed to console her.

Once calm, Nessie revealed the letter said her beloved husband was missing. “I didn’t know what to do,” she said. “All I could ask was, ‘Why is he missing when he was just on the ship?’”
The 44-year-old Gel was last seen on December 26. Nessie was devastated and didn’t know where to start or whom to contact.

She tried reaching out to Gel’s crewmates, but they remained silent due to the ongoing investigation. Nessie was so affected that she had to cancel all her pending business orders for the new year.

She also couldn’t sleep, constantly thinking about Gel. Her children, used to talking to their dad, began asking where he was and when he would return.