Four years past the quake

Barace: victims rising 

from 'quake' rubbles

TAGBILARAN CITY, October 21 (PIA)--"Murag nahugno na ang akong kalibutan." "That day, my world seemed to crumble."

That day was October 15, 2013 when the earth shook and opened up swallowing four people all close to him. 

Rodel Barace, the squat 31 years old young father remembers, sadness veiling his face as he tries to painlessly relive the memories of the tragic earthquake of 2013, but to no avail. 

Four years after that disastrous 7.2 magnitude earthquake that ripped mountains in Antequera and swallowed his dreams, Rodel, couldn't stop his eyes from getting moist still. 

"But life must go on, even if I have to father my young family and my brothers and sisters who survived the disaster," he restated his resolve. 

Born into the family of Saturnino Sr., and Emiliana, Rodel is eldest among five siblings, all in either college or high school. 

His parents barely sustained the family through basket weaving and other odd jobs his father got into. 

That day, October 15, 2013, he was supposed to be in Tagbilaran among weavers to get weaving materials that would be their work share for the week's basket delivery supply to the town buyers. 

They had a quick stop in Manga in Tagbilaran to get breakfast when the earth shook. His brother called on his drained phone and he was only able to send a message to his weavers in Antequera to help his family before his phone died. 

Going home was out of the question, the issue was more of how?

The earthquake also toppled the Abatan Bridge which connects Tagbilaran to Maribojoc and Antequera, and the only way home was through three volunteer kayak paddlers ferrying the wounded to the nearest hospital and the eager to reach home.

By 3:00 PM, Rodel was able to hitch a ride and when he half walk, half run to his home in Ubujan, all he met were people who knew what befell his family, and yet no one had the strength to tell him what happened. 

When he arrived home, he saw a gaping hole where their house was, her grandmother's house teetering towards an abyss that was once a path. 

Neighbors whom he asked to help while he was on his way home, were adamant in getting down to where half of his brother's body lay exposed, weakly scratching the dirt covering him, body starting to get blue for lack of blood circulation. 

Mindlessly risking every aftershock which shook his neighbors in trauma, Rodel went down at about 5:00 PM to save his brother. 

By 6:00 PM, he had his brother Saturnino Jr taken from the rubbles, barely alive. 

The following morning, recovery of the victims began again. 

They pulled his father Saturnino apparently protecting his sister Elizabeth who was embracing his son Shem Jyle who was also wrapped around the arms of his mother Emiliana. 

His world could have ended there but Rodel knows he has to be a father and mother to his remaining sister Maria Agnes and brothers Saturnino Jr and Michael who skipped to safety when the earth swallowed his family. 

Four years later and having been a recipient of relief from government and private groups, the Baraces caught the eyes of the Camillian Task Force of the Philippines who helped them. 

Camillian Task Force Philippines is comprised of the communities of the missionary Order of St Camillus and their ex priests and seminarians who have gone into disaster relief operations. 

"Camillian Task Force-Philippines gave us sarisari store building and showcase with goods worth P20,000, a small grass cutter and they were with us to cope with the trauma of losing family members," he shared. 

Four years later and after trying to get past things, Barace's are much better now. 

"A priest who is now based in the US helped my brother get to the seminary and is now in third year. Maria Agnes has just finished Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management while Michael is now complying with the requirements for a job abroad," he narrated. 

He said he was just acting like he would: a father and a mother to his siblings while trying to heal his wife who was also mourning for the loss of a son. 

"It was hard but we know there were people who cared, it strengthened me to stand up and be strong for my two families," the elder Barace said. 

Helping them survive was basket weaving again, while tending the CTF sari-sari store and doing mowing lawns to get his siblings the needed allowances while in school. 

"It was all hard work, and prayers, lots of it," he claimed. 

For the past, Barace still said he is thankful that he has helped his siblings go past school just as he is thankful that he has borne a son, now three years old. 

It is providential, like God wants us to remember that He never forgets us, he declared. 

After the death of his son, the couple sought Gods help and a son was born. 

When he asked for strength to his brother and sisters through college, all seemed to have fallen into place without a hitch, he said. 

Maybe it is just right that we offered a brother to be a priest, he summed. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol) 

The Baraces: Rodel and wife shows off their sarisari store from the Camillian Task Force represented by Bohol members Salvio Madanguit, Atty. Teodoro Lagan, Seigfred Zamora, Atty Florendo Columnas and Jeffrey Dotarot during a visit to their relief project sites this week. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)