Muddy graveyard in Zambales

ZAMBALES, Philippines – In Barangay Wawandue, Subic, 12 die in a landslide triggered by monsoon rain. 8 of the dead are children.

Natashya Gutierrez reports.

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ROLLY EJORCADOS
FATHER OF VICTIMS
Ilang araw akong hindi makatulog. Noong buhay sila, yun, naglalaro yung tatlo, talagang hirap isipin masakit na masakit sa akin pero wala akong magawa, tinangay, nangyari na talaga. (I couldn’t sleep for days. When they were still alive, they would play. It’s hard to believe and it’s so painful but there’s nothing I can do. It’s already happened.)

Rolly Ejorcados can barely speak.
He lost all 3 of his sons, Ryan 7, Kian 6, and JR, 4 in the landslide.
Heavy monsoon rains transformed Barangay Wawandue, Subic into a muddy graveyard.
His wife and 3 daughters made it out alive.
He says he kept digging but his boys were not as lucky.

ROLLY EJORCADOS
FATHER OF VICTIMS
Mga minuto lang, sa sobrang ano ko po, nabuhat ko po lahat yun. Nakuha ko pa po yung panganay ko maam, si Ryan po kaso lang po hindi po siya naligtas maam kaso lang po sa taas po ng tubig hindi ko po siya nasugod. (In minutes, I was able to carry them. I was able to get my first born, Ryan, but I wasn’t able to rescue him because the water was so high.)

Junar’s wife and 2 year old daughter were rescued.
But Junar Ytac also lost his two boys, Joross and Joshua, who were 12 and 8.

JUNAR YTAC
FATHER OF VICTIMS
Matagal bago namin natanggal kasi puro kahoy yung nakapatong sa kanila. Nadaganan sila ng kahoy. Si Joshua may naririnig pa ako, “Papa mama andito ako.”. Sa tagal nga ng rescue namin, hindi namin mabunotbunot kasi matigas. (We weren’t able to rescue them because there were pieces of wood on top of them. They were buried under wood. I could still hear Joshua saying, “Papa, mama, I’m here.” It took a long time rescuing them.)

The Cuanan family suffered the same fate but in their case no one made it out alive.
All 6 members, parents Danilo and Elvira, and their 4 children, died.
Jovelyn, 19 was supposed to graduate college in March.
Daniella died the day before her 12th birthday.
Daniel was 8, and Doralyn 5.
Elder daughter Donalyn was in Manila when the tragedy happened.

DONALYN CUANAN
RELATIVE OF VICTIMS
TRANSLATION
Halos lahat sila nawala, hindi ako makapagsalita, speechless po. Yinakap ko po tatay ko. sigaw po ako ng sigaw. Late ko na po tiningan yung kapatid ko. (Almost all of them are gone. I can’t speak. I’m speechless. I hugged my dad. I kept on screaming. I couldn’t look at my siblings.)

The tragedy caught everyone by surprise.
They all say it happened so fast.

This is the spot where the landslide happened. The soil from the mountain came crashing down, crushing the houses standing here and burying the victims. In other parts of Subic, 15 more died from landslides while 3 drowned and suffered from hypothermia, bringing the total death toll to 30.
On Wednesday, two days after the rains subsided, Subic Mayor Jay Khonghun says relief efforts are underway.
He promises to find new homes for landslide victims.

JAY KHONGHUN
SUBIC MAYOR
Nagusap usap kami ni Congressman Jeffrey Konghun at sila Governor Jun Ebdane para tulungan natin na bigyan sila ng permanenteng relokasyon and at the same time, bigyan natin sila ng pantayo ng bahay. So mahirap talaga pero tulong tulong tayo. Hindi naman natin sila pwede ipabalik doon baka mangyari ulit ang trahedya. (Congressman Jeffrey Konghun, Governor Jun Ebdane and I discussed plans to give them permanent relocation sites and to give them means to rebuild houses. It’s difficult, but it’s a collaborative effort. We can’t allow them to return to their old homes. We want to avoid a repeat of the tragedy.)

Fathers, mothers, daughters grieving.They say they had no choice but to live by the mountain, because they had nowhere to go.
Natashya Gutierrez, Rappler, Zambales. – Rappler.com