Kate offers engineer’s license to mom who perished in quake

The family of one of the victims of the Oct. 15, 2013 earthquake in Mandaue City could only wish she was around to see her daughter pass the Electronics and Communications Engineering licensure exam.

“Sayang kaayo wala na siya nakakita sa kalampusan sa among anak,” said Benedicto Casul, 47 husband of the late Jurinda Casul who was pinned down by falling debris after the new Mandaue City Public Market collapsed.

The market was among the public infrastructure heavily damaged by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake. The market which was constructed from a P370 million loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has been declared unsafe for occupancy after over a year of operation. It was opened in January 2012.

The Casuls, who earn a living by selling goods inside the market, were cash-strapped after sales plummeted when they were forced to vacate their stall at the market building.

This however, did not stop Kate Marie Casul to finish her engineering course at the University of Cebu last March. She went on to successfuly hurdle the licensure examination last Oct. 2.

In both occassions, Kate Marie visited her mother’s grave where she offered her toga cap together with flowers and candles and her Professional Regulations Commission license.

Scholarship wish

Now a professional a year after the tragedy, Kate Marie is now shouldering the school expenses of three of her younger brothers.

She hopes that the government would grant scholarships to her her brothers.