WHILE he and his family of four slept in their small home in Sitio Central, Barangay Biasong in Talisay City, Rogie Flores, 26, didn’t know the heavy rain that pounded on their roof would end his and his 5-year-old daughter’s lives.
The rain, which started pouring at 5 a.m. yesterday, caused an eight-foot fence to fall on the Flores’ small home, burying the family in mud, dirt and rocks.
In a similar accident yesterday morning, a 49-year-old woman died after a 10-foot hollow block fence, its foundation weakened by rain, collapsed on her house in Sitio Tabayng Lawon, Barangay Tisa, Cebu City.
It took rescuers four hours to remove the body of Wilma Parba from the rubble and knee-deep mud that buried her.
Father
In Barangay Biasong, the collapsed wall buried Flores, his wife Geraldine, 25; and their two daughters, ages 5 and 3.
When neighbors found them under the pile of rubble, a badly injured Flores was found to have protected his 3-year-old daughter from the impact by covering her.
Geraldine and their 5-year-old daughter were also seriously injured.
Police, who were called to the scene, immediately brought the injured family to a hospital.
But when they arrived at the Talisay City District Hospital in Barangay San Isidro, Flores and his five-year-old daughter were pronounced dead on arrival.
Geraldine was sent to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City. Their 3-year-old daughter, who was unscathed, is now in the care of relatives.
Investigators led by SPO1 Arturo Andales and PO2 Lino Diez said the perimeter wall that killed the family apparently stood on unstable ground.
Diez, in a phone interview, said he and Andales spoke with Martino Piala, the owner of the wall and the house above the area where the victims live. It was Piala’s wall that fell.
No outlet
Diez said that upon checking, they found the wall had no drain for rainwater. The water that seeped into the ground loosened it.
Piala said he was willing to help the family financially and assist them in burying Flores and his daughter.
Barangay Biasong Captain Marlowee Dagohoy said that Flores and his family only moved into the neighborhood in April this year.
Flores hailed from Negros Oriental and painted cars for a living, while his wife was from Barangay Pooc, added Dagohoy.
Dagohoy said he and the barangay council will offer P2,000 as aid to the family, as well as help with the burial expenses through the City Government’s “pauper’s burial” program.
Dagohoy also said he has warned some of the residents living near the victims’ house to take precautions during rainy days.
Heavy rains also left knee-deep floodwaters in Barangays Bulacao, Tabunok, Lagtang and Linao-Talisay.
Barangay Lagtang residents, mostly residents of Sitio Santa Catalina, blamed the floods on construction projects in two subdivisions in the same barangay.
Residents of Barangay Basak in Lapu-Lapu City also complained about floods in their area. However, no properties were reported damaged as of press time.
Wet, wet, wet
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned yesterday that rains will be prevalent this month, with a low-pressure area (LPA) and the southwest monsoon (commonly known as the “habagat”).
However, weatherman Luciano Villamor of PAGASA-Mactan said the LPA is slowly exiting towards the eastern side of the Visayas and losing momentum after hitting land yesterday morning.
More rains can be expected from today to October or November because of the southwest monsoon, he added.
In the Cebu City case, Barangay Captain Eduardo Cabulao said the Arcenas family, who owns the fence, was scheduled to meet the Parbas at the barangay hall last night to discuss settlement terms and assistance.
“Aksidente man gyud to ang hitabo, wala man to tuyo-a (It was an accident. No one meant for it to happen),” Cabulao said.
City Hall, he said, will also give assistance to the family of Wilma, who is survived by her husband and four children.
City Councilor Gerardo Carillo said four more houses built near the accident site should go, and the families should be evacuated to safer grounds.
Stunned
Wilma was with her husband Danilo, 45, and two children around 4 a.m. when they heard a creaking noise followed by a roar.
The children fled first, followed by the couple. Wilma, however, did not escape in time.
Their house was located right next to the 10- to 15-foot fence of Casa Rosita.
“Didto gyud tugpa ang koral sa balay. Kaning asawa maoy wala na kagawas. Abaga na lang guy among nakit-an pag-abot namo (The wall fell on the house. When we got there, all we could see of the wife was her shoulder),” said Romulo Guarin of the Cebu City Disaster Coordinating Council.
Rescuers, including volunteers from the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation, removed Wilma’s body around 8 a.m.
Guarin said it would have taken them longer to take her body out and clear the debris had it not for a backhoe provided by the contractor of the subdivision.
Floods
Aside from the accident, flooding was reported in different parts of the city.
Carillo said the downtown area was flooded, particularly M.J. Cuenco Ave.; the North Reclamation Area, and Barangay Mabolo.
The river, he said, also overflowed at the Colon Bridge; and in Barangays Inayawan, Pahina San Nicolas, Tejero and Basak Pardo.
At 6 a.m., drainage at the Gawad Kalinga housing project in Poblacion Pardo overflowed, flooding the homes.
An hour later, a tree fell in Barangay Lahug, blocking the Sudlon road and damaging telecommunication lines.
As of press time, CCDCC personnel were also checking a reported landslide in Barangay Pulangbato.
Walls kill 3 in Cebu, Talisay
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