#HeroesofHaiyan: A different breed of hero

Joy Maluyo

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#HeroesofHaiyan: A different breed of hero
What this hero did, no man or woman can ever do

ROXAS CITY, Philippines –  Vincent would not be alive today if not for Budoy, his family’s dog.

Vincent, 12,  and his family are from Estancia, Iloilo. He was only 6 years old when he met Budoy, who easily became his best friend.

During Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), Budoy’s selflessness made him a hero. 

“The water rose so fast,” recalls Vincent’s mother of that terrible morning. “From the waist level it reached our neck very quickly. We tried to hide in a small nipa hut when the roof of our house was taken by the wind. Still, the water came crashing in. 

My husband took our youngest son to the barangay hall and asked me and Vincent to wait for him. I noticed that the water was just unstoppable so I decided to get Vincent and we followed them. It was very hard. We were swimming and at the same time avoiding the falling coconut trees.”

Vincent’s younger brother, Vince, and his father were swept away by the fast moving water. Vincent fainted at the site. Emily tried to stay afloat while trying to revive Vincent. Fortunately, he woke up. Meanwhile, her husband managed to hold on to a fallen electric post. 

“Vincent and I were already tired by then. It felt like giving up was the easiest thing to do,” recalled Emily.

Then came Budoy.

LIFE SAVER. Vincent revisits the spot where he and his mother held on for dear life

“We heard him barking, coming to us. The waves were taking him back but he just wouldn’t stop swimming toward us. He was trying to get something from inside the water. Then Vincent saw it was a cable. And that gave me hope.”

But swimming half a kilometer already drained their strength.

“Then Budoy started pushing Vincent. He pushed and pushed and pushed. All the while, he was on our back, trying to push us both while we were holding on to the cable. The struggle seemed to last for forever but Budoy pushed us until we reached the fallen electric post and we were able to hold on to it.”

There, a rescuer was waiting for them.

When the pair was pulled to safety, they lost sight of Budoy, their family dog.

The following day, Vincent searched for his best friend. And there, amidst the rubble, he found Budoy’s lifeless body.

DEDICATION. Budoy saved his owner's life at the cost of his own during Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan)

“I sat beside him, speechless. He was just with me before the typhoon.  I survived. He didn’t,” recalled Vincent. (READ: In Estancia, Yolanda came with an oil spill)

When asked if Vincent missed Budoy, he lowered his head, played with a ball and started wiping his tears. He didn’t say a word. His expression said it all.

“He could have swum for his life, too, but perhaps, he was too tired from pushing us back to safety. So he died. We are grateful that he came when Vincent and I were face-to-face with death,” said Emily.

Vincent is a World Vision sponsored child. During the Typhoon he and his family lost all their belongings, including photos of Budoy; but the memories of his best friend will remain with Vincent forever. – Rappler.com

Joy Maluyo, 25,  is currently deployed in Visayas as a Communication Officer for World Vision’s Haiyan Response.  She holds an MA in Development Communication from University of the Philippines Open University. Her collegue, Virginia Villanueva, tranlated all quotes from Illongo to English. 

Do you have a story of a #HeroesofHaiyan? Send them to move.ph@rappler.com.

Read about other #HeroesofHaiyan stories: 

Honoring the heroes of Haiyan

#HeroesofHaiyan: Honoring bravery and selflesness

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