OVER 33,000 VISIT M/V LOGOS HOPE IN SUBIC
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – The crew of M/V Logos Hope, the world’s largest book fair, said they are happy that Filipino book lovers kept on visiting their ship throughout its three-week stay after it arrived here in Subic on March 16.
The vessel, which berthed at the Alava Pier, has received more than 33,000 visitors who browsed through some 5,000 available book titles on board, and viewed interactive displays like “Life X-perience,” which is about HIV.
More visitors flocked to the book fair until it closed on April 8, Easter Sunday. Until then, the book fair remained open every day, from 10:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., except on Holy Thursday and Good Friday in observance of the Holy Week.
Tom Dyer, captain of M/V Logos Hope, said that it has always been a pleasure for them to be in the Philippines. “I like being in the Philippines. You have a very positive cheerful spirit,” he said. “Anywhere in the world that you go, when you find a Filipino community, there is so much joy. We are very thankful to be here.”
Dyer also thanked the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority for providing assistance to the ship’s crew. He also praised the Freeport’s port facilities. “It’s nice when we come in to a berth and we’re not moving because of the swell and the tide,” Dyer said. “In some ports we have to actually leave the berth because there’s just too much motion. But we feel very secure here and we feel very welcome here, so thank you.”
Apart from making books available to the public, the crew of M/V Logos Hope also conducted offshore volunteer services in communities surrounding the Freeport.
“We have been working in prisons and schools. We have been in places where we can provide books,” said Naomi Armstrong, one of the Logosvolunteers. “Our dentists have also gone out doing work in the communities.”
Armstrong also said that after the book fair closed on April 8, the ship was dry-docked also in Subic for repairs and maintenance which is expected to last for two months. The ship will be sailing out of Subic on June 25 and head off to Indonesia, their next book-fair stop.
Asked if M/V Logos Hope would be returning to Subic, Armstrong said she is positive about it. “The M/V Doulos (the predecessor of M/V Logos Hope) has been here in Subic six times before, so we will definitely return. When will that be, we don’t know,” Armstrong said.
In any case, Armstrong said the crew really enjoyed Subic Bay. “The people here have been very friendly, and we have enjoyed our visit here in the Philippines generally. It’s been a lovely country to visit,” Armstrong added. ###
