'PAIT KAAYO, BROD'

'PAIT KAAYO, BROD'

By BERTENI "TOTO" CATALUÑA CAUSING 

Member-alumnus, Alpha Cosine Theta (Alcothans)

Mindanao State University

"Pait kaayo, brod!" (It is too bitter, brother.)

Thus said Abegail Abaa, a sister of the author in the collegiate organization called in Mindanao State University - Marawi Campus as "ALCOTHANS" or "Alpha Cosine Theta," a brotherhood founded by seven mathematicians-scholars on October 2, 1976.

"Missing pa aq family brod...pa pjd nkta." (My family is still missing, brod; not yet found.)

Thus added Abegail when the author inquired from her through text messages how was she feeling after losing all members of her family in Iligan. 

She was lucky to have been saved because she was in Cebu when the giant roaring flood inundated the city of downstream. 

Her family members lived in an island adjacent the City of Iligan. "Iligan" is an Ilonggo or Cebuano term for the place where water naturally flows through.

The island was connected to the mainland Iligan by a cable hanging bridge and it had been there for more than a quarter of a century.  

That bridge had been serving as a human bridge for it cannot carry vehicle loads and its width was not enough to fit in a vehicle. (continued below the photo)

The hanging bridge swept away by the roaring flood used to connect Bayug Island to the mainland Iligan for more than a quarter of century. The author crossed this bridge once in 1987 when he engaged classmate Engr. Ephraim Tanghal and other friends in a spree of drinking tuba and freshly-caught small shrimps that sent him to Iligan Sanitarium Hospital for amoeba.

The first time time Abegail's family members sent text messages to her informed that her family members cannot cross over because the hanging bridge in Bayug Island connecting to the mainland of Iligan was swept away by the roaring flood.

The last time her family members were able to send text message said that her lolo (grandfather) and and aunt were swept away and their house of light materials was collapsed by the water currents and was also beginning to be swept away by strong flood current.

The next time she knew was nothing as to them and their whereabouts.

Until this writing, only the bodies of her lolo and aunt have been found, in the seas in front of the cost of the town of Initao, Misamis Oriental.

The members of the family of the author's sister, Abegail, who disappeared immediately after the flood waters subsided were identified as follows:

1. Jing Abaa;
2. Timotea Abaa;
3. Joeriebell Abaa;
4. Jose Fernand Abaa;
5. Francis Felix Osabel;
6. Patrick Gil Osabel;
7. Candy Cris Omisol
8.Galerma Bulay-og;
9. Little Abegail;
10. Angela Osabel;
11. Felix Osabel; and
12. Elsa Osabel.

Missing Joeribell Abaa