By Richielyn Canlas
Two siblings, aged 22 and 20, were killed after a boulder struck them while they were cooking lunch at the store where they worked during a rockslide in Sitio Wawa, Barangay San Rafael, Rodriguez, Rizal, on Wednesday, Aug. 5.
On Thursday, Aug. 6, Barangay Captain Judith Cruz told the Manila Bulletin that the siblings were with the 22‑year‑old female victim’s husband before the incident. He had briefly left to fish near the store when the rockslide occurred around 12 p.m.
“Nangyari po yung incident doon sa tindahan na kanilang pinagtatrabahuhan. Nung 12, nagluluto yung magkapatid para sa tanghalian nila,” she said.
Cruz said the impact of the falling boulder was so strong that it hurled the female victim’s body into the river, while her brother sustained fatal injuries.
She added that the boulder may have fallen from higher up, as there were reportedly no sounds of falling rocks before the incident. Only a single boulder was reported to have fallen.
“Walang narinig na parang nag-slide na bato, parang biglang deretso bagsak. So ibig sabihin (baka) ang taas ng pinanggalingan,” she said.
Only the store where the victims were working at the time of the incident was affected.
Cruz said the victims had also survived a rockslide last year, during which a boulder struck their home, although all members of the family escaped unharmed.
She added that they had been advised to relocate from the area but still went to Sitio Wawa for work.
She said she was saddened by the incident, noting that she had personally met and spoken with the female victim only recently, who was among those who received school supplies and rice from the barangay.
The barangay and the local government immediately extended assistance to the victims’ family, including cash aid, food packs, and hygiene kits.
Following the July 24 rockslide in the area that injured three people, including two minors, the barangay intensified its efforts to encourage residents to temporarily stay with relatives, if possible, while the area remains prone to rockslides during the rainy season.
The barangay once again went house to house on Wednesday and Thursday to encourage residents to evacuate temporarily.
Cruz said the barangay is doing its best to ensure residents are regularly reminded of the risks and that the area is closely monitored, especially during rainy weather.
As part of its continuing response efforts, Barangay San Rafael is offering the Wawa Covered Court and the Diliman Covered Court as temporary shelters for residents who voluntarily evacuate from areas considered at high risk of landslides.
“Kapag nagsabi na ang lokal na pamahalaan, mga opisyal, makinig po tayo kasi para sa kaligtasan po ninyo ito. Naniniwala po ako na mas importante ang buhay ng tao dahil hindi na maibabalik ‘yan. Ang negosyo, trabaho… p’wedeng gawan ng paraan. Kaya kapag umuulan na at alam nating danger zone, h’wag na po nating pilitin at makipagsapalaran,” Cruz said.
Meanwhile, the barangay continues to coordinate with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), the Montalban municipal government, the Rizal provincial government, and other concerned agencies to implement measures ensuring the safety of residents and workers in identified danger zones.
