Death takes away dream for family to live in one house

ELVIN Cuba Bongo’s dream was for his family to live in one house.

And he worked on his dream every weekend to slowly, but surely, build his house in Barangay Maslog, Danao City, hoping to finish it.

Alas, it may not come true with his death last Saturday. He was one of the two fatalities when the wall in the construction of Citi Hardware collapsed in Barangay Cotcot, Lilo-an, last Friday.

His eldest son, Marvin, 20, said his father worked on their house every weekend, the days when he did not have to report to the construction site.

Marvin said his father was targeting the end of year to finish his project, which would finally house his whole family.

“Hapit na gyud niya mahuman ang bungbong. Iya na gud tong gipamalitan og mga gamit para matapakan (The wall is almost finished. He bought materials to patch the wall),” Marvin told Cebu Daily News.

The house they live in is very small and cannot accommodate the whole family.

“Kay gamay man ang among balay, nagbulag-bulag me og puyo. Akong mama and papa kauban ang usa ka igsuon kuyog diha sa balay. Ako nagpuyo sa akong lola unya akong usa igsuon kay sa akong iyaan,” Marvin said.

(Because our house is small, we do not live together. My mother and father and one of my siblings live in the house. I live with my grandmother, and my other sibling lives with my aunt.)

Marvin said he has three other siblings aged 16, 14 and 10. His mother is a housewife and has some memory difficulties.

Meanwhile, an injury on his right hand makes it difficult for him to get work to support the family.

For now, the immediate concern is the burial arrangements for his father.

Bongo’s younger sister Arleen Barrios confirmed that the company had already sent a representative who paid for the hospital expenses and funeral services.

A source told Cebu Daily News that Bongo’s hospital bill reached P151,000.

The other fatality, Lazaro Capa Jr., remains at the morgue.

According to PO2 Eric Pintoy of the Lilo-an Police Station, they still don’t have any updated information on the victims.

No family members nor company representatives appeared at the police station.

The five survivors Lowel Batican, Alex Rosal, Melvin Proburato, Rene Barrido and Condito Baculao remain at Mendero Medical Center in Consolacion, northern Cebu for surgery. The other victims Antonio Cuenza and Joel Procurato are already out of the hospital.

Lilo-an Mayor Christina Garcia Frasco in a text message to Cebu Daily News said, “We condole with the families of the victims of this tragic incident and we continue to pray for the recovery of the injured.”

The local government unit (LGU) is prepared to extend assistance to the victims and their families.

“Let us not forget, however, that the primary responsibility for the safety of workers is with the contractor and its principal, and they must bear the liability for the consequences of this incident, as will be determined post-investigation,” Frasco said.