Ryann Castro

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Non-permissive Environment

Advisory - Some images may not be suitable for sensitive readers, viewer discresion advised.

Every day we encounter a lot of challenges and difficulties in life, whether be it private or public. To name a few, problems at work, with peers, organization, financials and many more. But nothing compared to an instance where we think we hit a wall hard and end up with a broken spirit.

Typhoon Parma interacting with Typhoon Melor causing the Fujiwara Effect

This is what happened to a team of weekend warriors and responders during the height of the rampage of Typhoon "Pepeng" (Internationally named "Parma"), at the eve of October 9, 2009. The soil was saturated by more than a week of rainfall. The outcome was...even the word “devastating” can’t compensate nor describe what rescue volunteers and the people of Baguio and Benguet have been through.

Floodwaters submerged most parts of City Camp Lagoon in Baguio City as typhoon 'Pepeng' continues to dump rain Friday. GMANews.TV

Rescuers tried their very best to respond to every emergency call they received, but responders are all but less handful and equipped for all emergencies.

Baguio CDCC: The City Disaster Coordinating Council Operation Center keeping up with incidents occurring in Baguio City as typhoon Pepeng attacks the city and the rest of Northern Luzon. (Redjie MElvic Cawis PIA)

I remember a close buddy of mine telling me his own experience during their operation at a landslide site at Bokawkan Road, Baguio City. He said “Bok" (a term used to call a buddy), we were there the soonest we can, we did the best we could do, but the rain is too strong coupled by strong winds that made our efforts useless. There is zero visibility but still we tried to push through. But it’s no use, we managed to pull some but still our efforts were in vain. The scene is becoming more dangerous to responders and our team. Soil and mud still gushes down on us. I had no choice but to issue a pullout call for all of us. We can’t afford to be victims ourselves.” I realized the danger they faced, for my team has been in that the same situation for so many times. If we were in that situation, I would have probably done the same. But the last part he shared to me was “Bok, I heard people's cry right underneath the concrete wall that fell which I’m stepping on. But we had to pullout bok, I can’t risk the lives of the men.” Looking at him after he said that, I felt the depression and saw what he’s going through. It’s never easy to call the shots, specially to choose someone’s life over another. On that faithful day, within the span of 24 hours, reponders attended to multiple calls for rescue, with at least fatalities ranging from one (1) to more than twenty (20+) on the eight (8) landslide incidents that occured within Baguio City.

Rescuers look for people believed to have been buried in a landslide on Bokawkan Road Friday at the height of typhoon 'Pepeng.' GMANews.TV

The same was experienced by a squadron of weekend warriors at “Little Kubungan,” La Trinidad, Benguet, where around fifty-six (56) people were buried alive during the night at the height of Typhoon Pepeng’s Rampage. They did their very best, but it was just overwhelming for the men.

A relative cradles a child who was killed in a landslide in Little Kibungan, Puguis, La Trinidad, Benguet at the height of typhoon 'Pepeng.


Why are there people volunteering and risking their lives not knowing they may be the next victim or end up dead you might ask? This is what happened to my God Father and Councillor Rex Mang-oy (RIP) of Pico, Latrinidad, Benguet together with three firemen. They rushed in at a landslide site at Buyagan, La Trinidad, Benguet to help in the digging of people who were buried alive. Not knowing there will be second erosion, the inevitable happened. He and his team of fire fighters were buried alive; one survived and was dug up immediately by fellow responders. But for my God Father and the two fire fighters, it was too late. Councillor Rex Mang-oy and Senior Fire Officers Siegfried Ngolaban and Richard Balusdan made the ultimate sacrifice.






Rescuers transport the body of a landslide victim from the mountainous village of Irisan in Baguio City at the height of typhoon 'Pepeng.'

Again, one might ask why people are volunteering and risking their lives for a stranger, for someone whom they have never met or known? The answer is simple...these things they do...that others may live...

*Councillor Rex Mang-oy and Senior Fire Officers Siegfried Ngolaban and Richard Balusdan were later on recognized and awarded by the government for their heroism and bravery.

"All gave some...Some gave all..."


You can read/view more regarding Typhoon "PEPENG" (PARMA) in my slideshare presentation : Timelines of Disasters in Baguio City. Kudos to all volunteers, Firefighters, Police, Air Force (active & reserve), the men and women of Baguio CDRRMC, BB-PICAG, Red Cross, RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS and those who remain unknown and chose to remain so!

*Images are not mine, no copyright infringement intended. Photos are properties of their respective owners.

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Please leave your thoughts about my blog. Will get back to you as soon as I can. ~ Ryann