Family hid, prayed in house's ceiling as Rolly lashed Albay

A family in Barangay San Francisco in Guinobatan, Albay hid and prayed in the ceiling of their home as Super Typhoon Rolly slammed the province on Sunday.

According to Nico Waje’s report on “24 Oras” on Tuesday, all the Alapad family had with them was their faith as lahar mudflows mixed with floodwaters roared through their barangay.

Marvz Alapad said this was the first time their barangay was overrun by floodwaters.

“Bigla na lang may nag-wave na tubig na… ‘Di ko po kasi maano eh pero bato na malalaki kasabay ‘yong lupa at lahar galing kay Mayon,” she said.

Marvz said they were confident at first that their barangay would not be flooded because they had never experienced this from previous typhoons.

This all changed when the flooding did come.

“Noong mga oras na ‘yon sa totoo lang, tinanggap na po namin na ‘di na po talaga eh. Wala na eh, wala na,” she said.

“Noong mga oras na 9 o’clock, luckily po, feeling ko po miracle po ‘yon eh. Lumihis po sa bahay namin ‘yong tubig at ‘yong mga batong rumaragasa.”

After the incident, all the houses in their barangays were buried in mud.

Despite losing their belongings, Marvz said they were still thankful as they were not hurt.

“Dahil po pangalawang buhay na po ng family namin, mas nagkaroon po ako ng mas lalong faith kay Lord dahil sa sitwasyong iyon, siya na lang po talaga ang tutulong po sa amin ng mga oras na ‘yon,” she said.

Albay was one of the provinces placed under the highest alerts, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 5, on Sunday.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology issued a warning on Oct. 31 that due to potentially high-volume of rainfall, lahar and muddy stream flows from three active volcanoes may be expected in several areas along the path of Rolly.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction on Management Council said a total of 17 individuals died and two others were injured in Region V and Calabarzon due to the onslaught of Rolly.

The fatalities include a man who drowned in Binangonan, Rizal; a man from Bacacay, Albay; a male from Tiwi, Albay; a woman from Daraga, Albay; three individuals in Guinobatan, Albay due to lahar flow; two from Malinao, Albay; one from Oas, Albay; a man from Camaligan, Camarines Sur; one from Gigmoto, Catanduanes; four from Virac; and one from San Miguel, Catanduanes.

For the injured victims, one was hit by debris in Pitogo, Quezon; one suffered laceration from a GI sheet in Boac, Marinduque; and one was hit by a fallen three in Juban, Sorsogon.

Two females were also reported missing in Guinobatan, the NDRRMC said. — Ma. Angelica Garcia/DVM, GMA News