Separated for 40 years, sisters finally met under strange circumstances

For five years, they have been rubbing elbows in some events at the Lapu-Lapu City Hall without knowing they were sisters until luck played a naughty game on them.

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — Two sisters who were separated for 40 years, have finally met each other due to their office uniform and through the contact-tracing efforts of the Lapu-Lapu City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU).

April Arong Pausal, 40 years old and a medical technologist, and Elizabeth Arado, 62 years old, and a midwife, didn’t know that they were siblings even though they have been crisscrossing each other’s paths at the Lapu-Lapu City Health Office (CHO).

Until they met on that fateful Tuesday, May 24.

Elizabeth was very emotional during their surprise meeting since her father had told her about her siblings before he died.

The two have been colleagues for five years, seeing each other during official gatherings, but April’s married name hid their connections.

“Awkward and happy kay wala na ko magdahom,” said April of her feelings when she met Elizabeth.

On Monday, May 23, 2022, April was able to trace an employee bearing her father’s surname through the list of employees and their uniform sizes.

CESU head Grace Carungay also saw this name and “contact traced” Elizabeth.

Carungay already suspects that they are related since they have the same story about their father when she talked to them separately.

The following day, Carungay arranged a meeting with the two at the CHO.

When the two finally came, it was then that Carungay introduced them to each other.

It was a very emotional meeting and everyone was touched. CHO employees who witnessed the sisters’ reunion were in tears.

Elizabeth realized that she finally met the sister her father had asked her to find.

Her father Percival, before his death in 2012 at 82, confessed to his children that they have siblings from another family and asked Elizabeth to find them.

April is assigned at the CHO while Elizabeth is assigned to Olango Island.

They are both daughters of Percival Arado Sr. but from different mothers.

April said Percival is married to Elizabeth’s mother.

Elizabeth remained single and has 7 siblings from her mother.

April’s mother Amelita bore three children with Percival; Teodorico, who recently passed the bar and is now a lawyer, April, and Marlyn, who is a teacher.

Amelita’s life took on a rough turn when she got pregnant with April.

Amelita met Praxedes Arong while aboard the ship from Butuan City to Cebu. In their meeting, she offered her child to Praxedes.

At that time the couple has an adopted child and two biological children.

Being the town’s midwife, Praxedes agreed and Amelita lived with the couple in Cordova until she gave birth to April.

April attended elementary, and high school in Cordova and pursued college studies in Iligan, where the couple has relatives.

When April finished college Praxedes told her the truth….that she was an adopted child.

That time Amelita was visiting the couple and Praxedes introduced her to April. Both of them cried.

“I had mixed emotions then, nasuko ko, pero kinahanglan nako dawaton, ug tun-an ang paghigugma,” April said describing her feelings for Amelita.

She said she was angry with Amelita for leaving her to the couple and for not sacrificing to raise her.

But Amelita told her that at that time, she just wanted her to have a “maayong kaugmaon” that’s why she offered her to the Arong couple.

April’s younger sister, Marilyn, is adopted by Jesus’ sister.

And true to Amelita’s dream, all her children are now professionals, a lawyer, a MedTech, and a teacher.

“Natandog sab ko ni Mama (Praxedes) with more nako gi-appreciate ang iyang efforts on us,” April said.

“Kontento na ‘ko sa akong nadak-an, wala na ko magdahom, kay gihatag na nila (Praxedes and Jesus) ang tanan, ug wala na koy gipangita pa,” she added.

But later she realized that there are still others from another family who also loved her that much.

Elizabeth and April planned to visit their father’s grave together soon.

On Friday, May 27, Elizabeth invited April over to dinner, with the former’s two remaining siblings from her mother.    /rcg