A mother’s long-awaited reunion with her only son turned into heartbreak after discovering him lifeless inside a coffin upon her return to the Philippines.
According to a report by SMNI, Rosemary Ramirez had just arrived from Kuwait when she learned that her son, Manuel—fondly called “Intsik” by family and friends—was among those killed after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck San Remigio, Cebu. The quake caused the collapse of the sports complex where Manuel, a basketball league organizer, was overseeing a game.
“I still can’t accept it… he was my only child,” Rosemary said tearfully. “They said he was only hurt, but the next morning, he was gone. I couldn’t eat or sleep. If I had two or three children, maybe I could bear it—but he was my only son.”
She said she still cannot bring herself to visit the sports complex where her son died. “I can’t even look at it anymore… that’s where my son was buried.”
Manuel’s grandmother also expressed deep sorrow, saying she raised him since childhood. “It hurts so much. It’s so hard to accept,” she said.
Manuel left behind his wife and a 10-month-old baby. His widow recalled the terrifying moment the quake struck. “When the quake hit, I was holding my child tight, afraid we’d get trapped. I didn’t know my husband was already buried under the collapsed complex. I kept calling him, but there was no reply,” she said. “It breaks my heart for my baby—he’s only 10 months old and now he no longer has his father.”
Another victim was Manuel’s friend, Jude, a 25-year-old referee. His father, Agapito Distora, said they rushed to the sports complex upon hearing the news but arrived too late. “No matter how painful, we have to accept it,” he said. “If only this hadn’t happened, people would’ve known that the gym was built poorly—the steel bars were too thin, too weak.”
The Cebu Provincial Government confirmed that over 70 people died in Northern Cebu due to the powerful quake. Among them was Rein, a Grade 6 student from Barangay Looc, who was crushed when a wall collapsed on their home.
“Rein would always say, ‘Let’s go to the beach!’” his mother, Luz, recalled. “He was always there to help. My message to him—it’s okay that you saved your father first… but it still hurts so much.”
