BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – On the morning of Thursday, October 31, in Sabangan, Mountain Province, a 14-year-old boy was trying to reach their piggery across the banks of Bayudan River in Supang village.
Unfortunately, Juneil Crey Liwaliw Bagwan was swept by the strong current.
Search and rescue teams have been mobilized the whole day but they have not found him. And as Halloween approached, a consoling gesture was made by the residents of the neighboring town of Bontoc.
Bayudan River is a tributary of the Chico River.
Several bonfires were lit along the banks of the Chico River by residents of the capital town.
As “Hail, Mountain Province” wrote on Facebook: “Alongside the fire’s primary role as a source of light, they were there as beacons of hope so that anyone who saw them would know that help was at hand.”
It also said that it is believed that fire will give comfort and warmth to the missing.
Rescue efforts continued the next day, with augmentation by Bontoc rescuers but Bagwan remains missing.
Last week, 60-year-old Francis Angel who goes by the Igorot name of Lacaben drowned also in Sabangan. His body was recovered in Bontoc. – Rappler.com
