Bride-to-be buried under giant ship tossed by Yolanda

“Till death do us part.”

 

This was supposed to be the wedding vow of a Leyte couple planning to get married this year before super typhoon Yolanda struck the Philippines on November 8.

 

But for Den Bayron, he will never be able to make this vow to Abi, his girlfriend and bride-to-be, after she was buried alive by the MV Star Hilongos which ran aground in Anibong, Tacloban City.

 

Abi's home was one of the houses flattened by the massive ship which ran aground due to powerful storm surges brought about by Yolanda, according to a report from GMA's Unang Balita early Friday.

 

“Galing kami sa trabaho. Gusto pa nga niya sana na magkasama pa sana kami. Sabi ko sa kanya 'wag, baka abutan siya ng bagyo. (Sabi ko) 'Umuwi ka na muna' baka mag-alala 'yung mama niya,” Bayron recalled while sobbing.

 

But what if he agreed to stay with her?

 

“'Yun na nga 'yung iniisip ko. Wala na akong magawa. Huli na ang lahat,” he said. 

 

“May plano na kami kasi siya 'yung nagsabi sa akin na magpapakasal na daw kami [ngayong taon],” Bayron said.

 

The ship that buried Abi and her family alive was not the lone vessel that ran aground in badly hit Tacloban City.

 

There were around nine ships in the area alone that were oddly displaced with at least two of these ships flattening a couple of residential homes made from light materials.

 

“Sana naman po bigyan nila ng atensyon itong barkong napunta po sa amin. Gusto ko po makuha 'yung katawan ng pamilya ko. Hindi ko man sila makitang buhay, mabigyan ko lang sila ng sariling libingan. Sana po matanggal na 'yang [barko] diyan,” Roselyn Panogadia, a cousin of Abi, said.

 

Bayron and Abi were officemates and had been together for two years before the tragedy.

 

Bayron didn't expect their hopes of marriage would be dashed by a passing storm. But for him, he will never forget his fond memories of Abi, from which he draws strength daily. 

 

“Abi, alam mo 'yung pinag-usapan natin [na kasal], 'di ba? Mahirap isipin [na wala ka na]. Kung alam ko lang na ganito ang mangyayari sana kinuha ko na lang kayo,” he said.

 

Yolanda struck the Philippines on November 8, pummeling Eastern Visayas, leaving behind destruction and shattered homes in its wake.

 

The death toll has now reached 4,015 with 18,567 injured and 1,602 still missing based on the latest figures of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

 

Ten million people were affected, and damages ran up to at least P12 billion, according to NDRRMC.

 

Yolanda is the second super typhoon to hit the Philippines this year. It is also the world's strongest typhoon of 2013 and is ranked fourth in the world's list of strongest typhoons. —Andrei Medina/KG, GMA News