4 Aeta kids drown, 1 missing in overflow

BAROTAC VIEJO, ILOILO, Philippines —Four children, three of whom were siblings, drowned while they were crossing an overflowing river at sitio Nagpana in Brgy. Lipata of this town Monday afternoon.

A report from the Office of Civil Defense-Western Visayas identified the victims as Michael Martinez, 15, and his younger siblings, 12-year-old Mark and 7-year-old Marielle; and Lino Ganancial, 7. Their companion, Lyka Elosendo, remained missing as of press time.

Information said the children belong to the Nagpana Minority Association, a group of Aeta families inhabiting in Barotac town.

Chief Insp. Wilfredo Rios, chief of the Barotac Viejo Police Station, said the five pupils were on their way home from Nagpana Primary School when the incident happened.

Racquel Mateo, the tribe secretary of the Nagpana Minority Association, added nobody saw when the children crossed the overflow and were swept by the strong water current.

"The incident was known only after the body of the Grade IV pupil Michael was found at the water's edge," Rios said.

After Michael's body was retrieved, a search and rescue operation was immediately done, and yesterday morning, the rescue team found the bodies of Ganancial and Mariel.

Barangay Chairperson Cirila Lamistosa said a number of school children have to cross the overflow daily.

In the victims' case, their houses were situated at the upper portion of the river. "There was downpour last Tuesday. The water at the overflow suddenly surged," she said in the dialect.

As this developed, search operation continued to find Lyka, while members of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, chaired by OCD-6 director Rosario Cabrera met yesterday afternoon to discuss the preparations for tropical depression Ramon.

As of Tuesday noon, signal number 1 was declared over the northern portion of Iloilo and Negros Occidental and Capiz provinces.

In a press briefing, Mae Casilagan, weather forecaster of the Visayas PAGASA Regional Services Division, said they did not foresee strong winds, but there will be heavy rainfall. "Residents living in low-lying areas are advised to be on alert for possible flashfloods," she said.

Local police and military were also placed on full alert status and were advised to be on stand by in case rescue operations will be launched. - THE FREEMAN