LOPEZ, QUEZON--How true that spirits thrive in the river off a countryside in a Quezon farm?
Residents of Barangay Banabahin Ibaba, more than eight kilometers from this town, said that the river (that divides their barangay and Barangay Buenavista) they called Pandanan for ages has a zeitgeist.
"Parang kung sa k'wan ay hinihila ng tubig o may kumakaway sa ilog na lumusong pa sa mas malayo at mas malalim (It was like there was something or someone in the waters calling, beckoning and pulling them to the deeper and farther part of the river)," said Rubin Aborde, 72, common-law husband of Violeta Pera, 66, who was drowned and died on April 29, 2025 at the Pandanan River.
According to Aborde, Violeta was washing clothes with her grandson Kyrie Bitoin, 7 years old in the shallower and northern part of the river when she finally decided to go to the deeper part of the river where Bitoin followed.
"Hindi siya lagi naglalaba r'yan. Palalim nang palalim d'yan. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pumunta pa sila d'yan (She seldom washes clothes here. It is getting deeper. I don't know why they still went here)," pointed Aborde to the part of the river in front of us.
It was the boy who drowned first, said Aborde.
"May aso pa nga raw na lumusong sa tubig at pilit na tinatangay 'yong damit no'ng bata para iligtas pero palubog nang palubog ito (There was a dog that jumped into the water and tried to bite the clothes of the boy to save him but he was gradually submerging in the water).
"Nang makita ni Violy 'yong apo, sinagap niya pero pareho silang hindi marunong lumangoy (When Violy saw her grandson drowning, she immediately came to her rescue but they both didn't know how to swim)," he informed.
"Hanggang nakita sila ng nangangarit ng niyog para gawing lambanog at nailigtas niya 'yong bata (Until a coconut wine maker saw them and he saved the kid)," he added.
(Photo Credit: Boy Villasanta)
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonNews