In the afternoon of October 24, 1988, while sailing from Manila to Tacloban City, the vessel was caught up in Typhoon Ruby and sank near Higatangan (or Gigatangan) Island, Biliran,[1] leaving approximately 400 dead or missing.

The MV Doña Marilyn left Manila on October 23, 1988, at 10 am, heading for Tacloban City in Eastern Visayas.

[5] The ship's captain, Eliodoro Salgado Jr., had been with Sulpicio Lines for five months when he commanded the MV Doña Marilyn on October 23.

Salgado sent a message to the coastal station of Sulpicio Lines in Manila about the large waves encountered by the ship, with him deciding to slow down the engine.

[7] Nearly an hour later, the captain informed the station that he decided to reverse course and head toward the North Gigantes island for safety, while adding that the vessel was expected to arrive at Tacloban around 8 pm later that day.

[11] One survivor, the ship's purser Kerwin Lim, reached the shore of Almagro Island after nearly a day at sea, but was later found robbed and murdered with red marks on his neck.

[7] On October 31, Corazon Alma de Leon from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) stated that Sulpicio Lines had agreed to provide ₱50,000 to each of the families of those who perished.

Salgado, offered to help the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) under Ramon Barrot in finding his son, who at the time was reportedly hiding in Maripipi Island in the province of Biliran.