House honors 5 fallen Bulacan rescuers, gives aid to kin

House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez gave a copy of House Resolution No. 16 on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022, to the relatives of the five members of the Bulacan Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) who died while conducting rescue missions at the height of Super Typhoon Karding. (Photo from the Facebook account of the House of Representatives)

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives has adopted a resolution honoring five Bulacan rescuers who died doing their work at the height of Super Typhoon Karding and giving their families financial assistance.

In a statement on Tuesday, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said he had met with the families of the fallen rescuers — Narciso Calayag, Jerson Resurreccion, Marvy Bartolome, George Agustin, and Troy Justin Agustin —all members of the Bulacan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (BPDRRMO).

House Resolution No. 16, adopted last Sept. 28, recognized the bravery of the five rescuers, who died while trying to save stranded residents in Baranagay Kamias in San Miguel, Bulacan.

“We will not forget your sacrifice and heroism, Narciso Calayag Jr., Jerson Resurreccion, Marby Bartolome, George Agustin, and Troy Justin Agustin. We will keep you in our prayers,” Romualdez said.

Michelle Resurreccion, wife of team leader Jerson Ressurecion, thanked lawmakers and the other people who supported her and her family during their time of grieving.

According to her, her relatives are hoping the incident will spark changes to how rescuers are cared for.

“For all the help that came pouring in and that we received, and now for honoring our loved ones here in Congress, we give our heartfelt thanks. Thank you for giving importance to the sacrifices made by the five rescuers,” she said in Filipino.

“If the lives of our five beloved rescuers would be have to given up in exchange for improving the treatment of rescuers who risk their lives during calamities, then we would wholeheartedly accept  it as long as their sacrifice will not be in vain,” she added.

House Resolution No. 16 was introduced by Romualdez along with Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, House Minority Leader Rep. Marcelino Libanan, Senior Deputy Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, and Tingog party-list Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre.

It was consolidated with 12 other resolutions filed by several lawmakers.

According to reports, the five rescuers were sent out at around 4:00 a.m. on Sept. 26 to rescue residents in flooeded areas in San Miguel, one of the hardest-hit by Karding in Bulacan.

Karding also wreaked havoc in parts of Southern Luzon and Central Luzon on Sept. 25 and 26 (Sunday up to early Monday morning). It made landfall over the Polillo Islands in Quezon province as a super typhoon with maxium sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour.

When it exited the Luzon landmass, it left behind saw scores of damaged structures and flooded roads and agricultural lands.

The initial forecast said it would hit Cagayan Valley on Sunday night. But it shifted southwards, going towards Bulacan and Pampanga instead.

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