TACLOBAN CITY – What was supposed to be Remigio Mejia’s cheerful celebration of his 50th birthday on Friday (April 15) ended up in mournful vigil for his daughter and granddaughter who died in landslide that swamped villages here during the Tropical Depression Agaton’s onslaught a few days back.
"I gathered my children in our house in Brgy. Maypatag (Ambuhan) from our other house in the barrio in preparation for my birthday. I was supposed to slaughter a pig for the celebration. We were happy before this happened," recalled Mejia.
He said they were awakened by a loud rumbling noise around 3 a.m. on Monday (April 11) in what turned out to be an experience so tragic and so painful.
"When my wife and son got up, we were blown away by the mud coming from the mountain," he recalled.
One of his sons was saved when he covered himself under their refrigerator that leaned to the wall.
"I heard my children crying for help. I told my son to call for help while I dug through the mud to save them," he narrated.
He said that because of the landslide, it took time before the villagers came to help him rescue his children.
"At first I could hear one of them calling for help (Tabang) for about 20 minutes. I tried digging with my bare hands with no light until her voice stopped, then another one cried for help," he narrated.
Remigio was able to save one of them. However, his 16-year-old daughter and 8-year-old granddaughter were already dead when they found them. That broke his heart.
He said the village chief of Brgy. Imelda was kind enough to allow them to have the vigil in the Brgy. Hall, and let them sleep there together with the families of the other victims.
Meanwhile, Mantesa Polvera and her sister Karen Joy, who both came home from Luzon could also not believe that their whole family was buried alive in the landslide in Brgy. Mailhi.
While they were attending the wake of their mother, three siblings, and two nieces, they found out that their father's body has been recovered from the rubble.
Their uncle and one other relative remain missing.
Aside from grieving the loss of their loved ones, Mantesa and her siblings are having trouble finding the money for the burial of their family members who perished.
They were grateful for Bernandino Tacoy of BGT Cares Foundation who arrived from a relief operation to the evacuees and extended burial assistance to them.
"This is a huge help for us. We will just go back to Manila because we no longer have a family and home to go to. We will just continue with our lives and offer it all to God even if this is really hard for us," she lamented.