9/11 hero returns for Sinulog festival

A Cebuana nurse, who was recognized as one of the heroes in the 2001 World Trade Center attack, is taking a break from work in the United States to watch the Sinulog tomorrow.

It will be her first time to experience it.

Rebecca Canalija, who has been in the US for nearly 18 years, said she was excited and didn’t know what to expect.

“Dugay na kaayo ko ganahan mo tan aw ug Sinulog because friends who watched always talk about the Sinulog when they come home (to New York),” said Canalija, who is in her early 50s.

She said she visited Cebu a few times but she came to see her father.

Canalija was at the Cebu City Sports Center with her 19-year-old daughter, Sarah, to collect their VIP grandstand section tickets from Sinulog executive committee director Ricky Ballesteros.

Canalija said she’s been reading Sinulog guides in the local dailies. Her nieces have also been telling her that she has to prepare herself to walk a lot in the Sinulog.

But before the day ends, she said she intends to watch Sinulog performances at the sports center grandstand.

Canalija is staying with her brother in Guadalupe, Cebu City.

A nursing graduate of the Velez College, Canalijas has been working in New York City since 1984. Her father is from Carcar City while her mother is from Pagadian, where she was born and grew up.

She came to Cebu to study nursing at Velez College. She graduated in 1980.

Canalija recalled that she was on duty at the New York Downtown Hospital four blocks away from the World Trade Center when the 9/11 attack happened.

She said the ground shook hard and the electric supply went off.

Despite her fear, Canalija said she helped and tended to the needs of the wounded and the dying at the trauma room of their hospital. She continued to help until the rescue operations were completed.

“Grabe ang adrenaline rush. The first week of operations was very intense. I no longer knew what time it was and if I had already eaten. There was so much work to be done. So many wounded people who needed help. I did not feel tired until after a week’s work,” she said.

“Hangtud karon dili pa gyud nako makalimtan ang nahitabo. Fresh pa kayo sa akong hunahuna. Hangtud karon affected gihapon kaayo ko sa nahitabo and I would sometimes cry,” she said.

Despite the trauma, Canalija said she was glad she was there to help.

For her efforts, she was recognized as one of the 9/11 heroes featured in a book that was published about them.