Boy who got lost in 1989 finally reunites with his family after over 30 years

A young boy who got lost in 1989 has finally reunited with his family after over three decades.

In an episode of “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” last year, Alvin Bachli, a man living in Australia, asked for help in locating his family in the Philippines.

He has a food truck business and a family of his own, but Alvin said he is still yearning to find his family.

“It's a huge missing piece which I've needed to fulfill. It's part of my heart to always look for my parents,” he said.

Alvin said he had been out with friends for a walk to the market when he got lost and could not find his way back home.

He ended up at the Reception and Study Center for Children in Pampanga. A social worker said he would not speak and only knew his name was Alvin. Eventually, he was adopted by a Filipina teacher named Lilia, who later took him to Australia.

KMJS helped Alvin look for his family in the Philippines. Three parties claimed to be his real family, but one of them told a story close enough to match Alvin’s childhood memories.

Sisters Glenda and Marilyn also lost a brother named Alvie in 1989. They had a Zoom meetup with Alvin to get to know each other, where they informed him that their mother died in 2016.

“That's a shock. I wasn't prepared for this. It's a strong feeling that they might be my sisters. I can't confirm yet but stories are matching up pretty close,” Alvin said.
They underwent DNA testing to determine their relationship.

Based on the results, the probability of full siblingship was 99.9996%. They were indeed siblings.

“Sobra-sobra po kaming masaya kasi ito ‘yung gusto ng nanay namin. Kahit wala na siya kasi kumpleto na kami,” Marilyn said.

(“We’re very happy because this is what our mother wanted. Even though she is no longer here, we are finally complete.”)

“I'm just truly grateful. I just wanted to hug them and let them know that I did not forget about them. You're the sisters that I've been looking for this whole time. I'm happy that I found you,” Alvin added.

But Alvin could not go home to the Philippines right away due to the pandemic. He, however, stayed in touch with Glenda and Marilyn via video calls.

“I’ve got a family. I honestly think that was the biggest miracle of my life. I really want to see my sisters and really just hug them really tightly,” he said.

After seven months, Alvin was finally able to travel to the Philippines. His sisters met him at the airport, where they had an emotional reunion.

“Sobrang-sobrang masaya. Ito na, naabot na namin ‘yung pinapangarap namin at saka ‘yung matagal na naming pinagdarasal,” Glenda said.

(“We’re overjoyed. We finally got what we have been praying for.”)

Glenda and Marilyn gave Alvin a warm welcome. Glenda cooked him champorado, the siblings’ favorite food when they were young. They also took him to their old home and reminisced their childhood memories together.

Alvin also visited the orphanage that took care of him.

The siblings also visited their mother’s grave.

“Nay, nandito na si Alvin. Kasama na namin siya. Nakumpleto na rin kami,” Glenda tearfully told their mom.

(“Mom, Alvin’s here. We finally found him. We’re finally complete.”

“It would have been nice for her to see me, that I've survived and I'm still here. I'm doing okay, I just wanted to let her know that.”

KMJS surprised Alvin with his birth certificate, where he finally learned the names of his parents. He also received a photo album of his pictures when he was young.

Glenda also thanked him for coming back to their family.

“I'm so happy. I'm absolutely complete and probably one of the happiest men in the whole wide world right now because you're back in my life,” Alvin said. - MGP/GMA News