Family in Cebu mourns loss of dad in Dubai flood

A family in Dumanjug town, Cebu is grieving over the loss of their patriarch who perished in the massive flooding in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a storm dumped reportedly over a year's rainfall in just a day on April 16, 2024.

The family of 47-year-old overseas Filipino worker Dante Casipong is grief-stricken over the news of his death. 

Dante is from Barangay Tangil who worked as an air-conditioning unit technician at the Dubai International Airport. He was with colleagues at work when the vehicle they were in slipped reportedly into a sinkhole. 

Casipong was rescued and airlifted to the hospital but expired there. 

His wife, Mary Ann, said that their last conversation mentioned of the unusual amount of rainfall dumped in Dubai. 

“Akala ko wala lang silang Wi-Fi, walang connection sa airport kasi minsan ganu’n naman talaga ang nangyayari sa kanya roon. Madaling araw tinitingnan ko kung may message niya, wala, so yun nga kinabukasan mga [April] 18 may chat akong natanggap,” Mary Ann said in an interview.

Dante had been working in UAE for over a year already. 

He has three children with Mary Ann, ages 21, 20, and 17 years old. 

His youngest child is set to graduate from high school next month. 

His daughter, Shane Nicole, said she is shaken by her father's death.

“Nakalitan jud, kalit-kalit kaayo; kana among papa sa among tan-aw kusgan pa kaayo. Iyang kuan ba motrabaho siya para namo,” Shane said. 

Another daughter, Dianne Mae, remembers her father as a responsible man.

“Iyang pagkamaayo nga amahan sa amoa, kung unsa among pangayoon, bisan okay ra mi sa among kinabuhi ba, sakto ra, iya gyud paningkamotan mahatag sa amoa,” Dianne said. 

The family called for government assistance to facilitate the speedy repatriation of their father’s remains home in Tangil, Dumanjug.

Mary Ann confirmed that the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and the Department of Foreign Affairs have already reached out to them. They are also hopeful that the manpower agency to which Dante had served will also extend help. 

Mary Ann said she has to be strong for her three children to fulfill her husband’s wishes that all three will finish college. 

“Maging matatag para sa mga bata, siyempre para makatapos din sila sa kanilang pag-aaral. Maging matatag kay yan ang pangarap niya, kaya siya bumalik sa Dubai para makapagtapos mga anak niya,” Mary Ann said. —GMA Regional TV