Rescuers recover bodies of 3 students swept away by floodwater in Argao town

Rodeney Alberca witnessed how the 3 students were washed away by the flash flood in the mountain at barangay Calasagan, Argao as they were heading home after their classes. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

Bodies of all three high school students who were swept away by a flash flood from the mountains in Argao town were recovered at noon yesterday.

The students were last sighted walking home with classsmates on a dirt road when a strong torrent hit them at around 4 p.m. Monday. They were on their way home from classes in Calagasan National High School when the accident happened.

The provincial office of the Department of Education will investigate the incident amid claims by a parent of one of the students that the accident would have been avoided had the teacher dismissed the class earlier.

More than ten rescue teams were sent to the upland area while six teams were sent to look for the bodies out in the open sea yesterday morning.

The body of 15-year-old Rachelle Anne Pasahe was found at the Canbanua junction of the Argao river at 6:35 a.m.

Four hours later, the body of Earl Kylle Sardido, 13, was recovered 10 kilometers from the shore, while the body of 15-year old Caroline Marzon was found floating near the Bohol Strait at 11:31 a.m.

Argao municipal administrator Vip Semilla said the river system starts in Dalaguete town and traverses 12 mountain barangays in Argao town.

Semilla, who is also the municipal disaster council head, said that local students would regularly tread the dirt trail going to and from their homes in the upland barangays.

On normal days, a small stream from the mountain flows peacefully downstream, along the road and down a 10-foot drop to join a wider part of the river.

Not until the flash flood occured last Monday did resident think the site was deadly.

“This is the first time this has happened.” Semilla said.

The water was just ankle deep when four other classmates walked safely across the road last Monday. They didn’t expect a flashflood from the mountain.

Residents of barangay Calagasan say that on days the rain is heavy, even an hour of downpour would cause water to gush down from the mountain like it was released from a dam.

At the time of the incident, Semilla said that it was raining hard in Dalaguete. The water level in the Argao river rose fast.

“ Our practice when it rains or skies turn dark is to alert barangay officials to tell the schools to hold on to the students or have their parents fetch them,” he said.

On one side of the stream are barangays Calagasan and Linut-od while on the other are barangays Canbantog and Tabayag.

Semilla said a few meters from the trail, a hanging bridge was built as a safe passage since there is no other way for students from the farther barangays to get home but to cross the stream.

He said that instead of pointing fingers, there is a need to raise awareness among teachers, barangay officials and parents about disaster risk reduction and safety.

“More importantly, the students need to be educated about these things,” he added.

Probe

A legal team from the DepEd will go to the Calagasan National High School to start an initial inquiry into the incident.

Dr. Arden Monisit, superintendent of DepEd Cebu, said the legal team will look into allegations that the teachers should have suspended classees before heavy rains fell.

Monisit told Cebu Daily News that before the opening of classes last June, school heads were told in a conference of contingency measures during disasters.

“It was discussed during the conference that they can suspend classes when it is really risky,” he said.

Monisit said school heads now have the authority to suspend classes and don’t have to wait for local government officials to declare it.

“Even the parents can fetch their children if they think that the situation is too risky,” he said, adding that mobile numbers are available in the school to advise parents directly.

The DepEd will ask the regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-7) to give a stress debriefing for the four students who survived the flash flood .

Awareness

Calagasan National High School principal Rizalina Sambola said she intends to launch a disaster awareness program for students next month.

“I’ve already met with the faculty. We’ve already invited speakers but we still don’t have a venue,” she said.

The high school, with a population of 282, is the nearest national high school to the neighboring barangays of Canbantog, Linut-od and Tabayag, among others.

Students from neighboring barangays often walk for 40 minutes to 2 hours to get to their homes, said Sambola.

Safe route

The hanging bridge is a safer route but it would take the students a longer time to get home.

Sambola said they dismissed the students early at around 4 p.m. Monday so they could get home before nightfall.

She said the school did not anticipate that the flash flood would happen since it was only drizzling in Calagasan.

“In my opinion, the school is not accountable since it happened outside the premises. We also can’t stop calamities from happening,” Sambola said.

Josina Pasahe, the mother of 15-year old Rachelle Anne, said the students should have been dismissed earlier at 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. or about an hour before the heavy downpour.

She said the teachers should have anticipated danger when light rains fell at 11 a.m.

She said the students were sent home at 4 p.m. when the rains were already heavy.

“Kon gipapauli pa unta nila og sayo ang mga tinun-an, buhi pa unta ang akong anak,” an emotional Josina said as she arrived with husband Ramonito at the Tupas Funeral Homes, where the bodies of the students were taken.

(If only they sent the students home early, my daughter would still be alive.)

The Pasahe couple immediately left their home in barangay Canbantog when they were informed by their son, Razel, that rescuers have recovered Rachelle’s body in barangay Canbanua, some 24 kilometers from the accident site in barangay Linut-od. /with reports from Michelle Joy L. Padayhag and Jhunnex Napallacan

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3 Argao students swept away in river