AT 60, Carmen Zamora is already having difficulty vending fish at the Pasil Fish Market especially when her arthritis strikes.
Since her husband died more than 10 years ago, Zamora has been depending on her adopted son Venerando “Rene” Bondoc to help her out by selling fish and in looking after their house in Pasil.
But she too lost Rene in a tragic death when part of the facade’s beam of the Pasil Market collapsed during the Oct. 15, 2013 earthquake that struck Cebu and Bohol.
“Until now, I still can’t forget that he asked for P50 as he wanted to buy puto maya and hot chocolate, his favorite, for breakfast. I didn’t know that when he left, that was the last time I will ever see him,” Carmen told Cebu Daily News in Cebuano.
It was a few minutes past 8 in the morning when the earthquake happened. At that exact time, Rene was unfortunately under the beam that pinned him down to death together with four other people.
Since he was a kid, Randy had been living with Carmen whom he considered as her surrogate mother.
Rene’s parents could not raise all their eight kids, which was why Carmen took him in since she and her husband didn’t have a child.
“He was a responsible kid and he always helped me in the market,” she said.
Rene was laid to rest at the Calamba Cemetery a week after the earthquake.
During the earthquake’s first anniversary, Carmen offered mass for the eternal repose of Rene’s soul at the Sto. Niño Parish in Suba-Pasil.
Later that day, she went to visit his grave and brought her not just flowers and candles but also Rene’s favorite – puto maya and sikwate.
This weekend, she plans to do the same during the observance of the All Souls’ Day.
“As long as I can, I willdo this every October 15 and All Souls’ Day so that he will know he is not forgotten,” she said.
Virgilio Tiro, 46, also lost his assistant, Randy, during the earthquake.
When the shaking happened, Virgilio and the other vendors ran outside the market through its side while Randy managed to run out through the front entrance where the beam fell on him.
Virgilio said maybe Randy wanted to save his trisikad parked at the church across the market.
Randy valued his “trisikad” very much since he bought it from his meager income.
When the market is no longer busy, Randy would also ferry passengers using his trisikad for extra income to send to his family in Samboan town, southern Cebu.
Virgilio didn’t even remember Randy’s last name. But even so, he said he had trusted the guy in the five years that he worked for him.
“I trusted him. I don’t worry about leaving big amount of money with him or ask him to look after my fish stall,” Virgilio said.
Randy’s remains were brought to Samboan but his trisikad is now with Virgilio since his family cannot bring it to his hometown. He just gave some money to Randy’s family so they could start a small business.
He offered mass for Randy during the earthquake anniversary last October 15. Virgilio hopes he could visit Randy’s grave during the All Souls Day.