Life beneath the rubble
As I treaded on the dimly-lit road on the way to Sitio Sindulan, Barangay Tinaan, in Naga City, I only had one thing in mind: Lord, keep me safe. It was already past 10 p.m. and the area seemed like a no man’s land. A police officer with a long firearm blocked my way and asked me where I was heading. “To the landslide site,” I said. He affirmed and escorted me to grab a few of the needed equipment to accomplish my mission as a reporter. I was alone but it didn’t bother me, only the stench did. Somehow my gut was telling me there was no more life beneath the rubble.
The following day I received a notification informing me that Naga City Mayor Kristine Chiong has already declared it as a retrieval operation only and that the signs of life that they were hoping for have already dwindled down to nothing. I remembered the bodies extracted from the rubble that night. As they were being brought down individually by members of the Army and Navy, several hearts were already broken --mine included.
I wonder what has been going on in the minds of those affected; what questions are they asking? Why? How come? Was it too late? Or was it bound to happen? When Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma came to visit the bereaved families, he asked them specifically to keep their faith and trust in God’s plans. It seems too easy when said but their hearts are still very heavy. It will continue until there is enough courage to forgive and strength to accept what happened.
Then there are what ifs: What if the rescue was not limited to uniformed personnel on the first night of the tragedy? What if evacuation already took place? What if the Mines and Geosciences Bureau made their reassessment earlier? What if no quarrying was done within the vicinity? Would this all take place? I’m sure there is doubt in all the surrounding aspects of this incident. There may be no more life under the rubble today but there is still hope for tomorrow.
We have been too proud to say that the Filipinos are a resilient people. While it is a trait to boast of, we must also learn our lesson. A tragedy such as this should not happen again. It is a lesson rolled into one heartbreaking experience. The lives lost will never be replaced but like they say, God has his plans laid out for us. There might not be life underneath it all, but there is hope --to restart anew and make policies that are geared towards protecting the environment along with the people.
My next few days will become more interesting as my visits to Naga City become more frequent. More stories will be heard and shared plus other interesting facts will be possibly uncovered. It will be tougher as it progresses; I only hope their stories will not be told in vain.
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