A Mother's Last 'Ma': Boy, 9, Swept Away in Cebu Creek
CEBU CITY — Rosalie Repaja still hears her son's voice calling out to her. The 44-year-old mother from Barangay Budlaan lost her nine-year-old boy, Yuri, to the swollen waters of a creek on Tuesday, September 15. The tragedy has left a community in mourning and a mother clinging to the memory of his final word: “Ma.”
The incident unfolded around 2:45 p.m. in Sitio Gawad Kalinga, where heavy rains had turned the usually gentle creek into a raging current. Despite the efforts of neighbors who tried to catch the boy as he was carried downstream, Yuri was swept away. His body was found the next morning in Sitio Toril, Barangay Tingub, Mandaue City, about nine kilometers from where he fell.
What happened before the boy was swept away?
Repaja recounted the moments leading up to the tragedy with a heavy heart. She was at their home in Lower Tac-an when the rain began. After finishing chores and taking a bath, she prepared food and headed to their shelter. She saw Yuri bathing in the rain with his cousin and called out to him to come and eat.
“Yuri asked if I had brought food. I said yes, and he told me he and his cousin would follow,” Repaja recalled in Cebuano. She went ahead, leaving the children near the creek.
It was then that her uncle noticed the danger. He returned three times to warn the children, telling them, “Dong, ayaw mo diha kay ang tubig dako na, delikado” (Don't stay there, the water is high, it's dangerous). The children, including Yuri, did not heed the warning.
How did the boy fall into the creek?
According to Repaja, a ball floated past. Whether someone asked Yuri to retrieve it or he acted on his own, the boy grabbed the ball and held onto something near the edge. He lost his grip and fell into the rushing water.
“Nabanlas, nahulog na lang gyud siya, unya nisinggit pa siya sa akoa og 'Ma.' Unya wala na gyud, nasampak-sampak siya sa mga bato,” she said, her voice breaking. (He was swept away. He fell. He called out to me, 'Ma.' Then he was gone, thrown against the rocks.)
A man downstream managed to reach Yuri and held onto him briefly, but the current was too strong. The family called for rescuers and searched through the night, but there was no sign of the boy.
Where was the boy found?
The search resumed at dawn. A relative later informed the family that a child had been found in Mandaue City, near a bridge, caught in a net and entangled in a tree. The family rushed to the site and identified Yuri around 9 a.m.
Jonathan Torres, a resident of Sitio Toril, was the one who spotted the boy. “I initially thought it was a dead dog because the water was high,” he said in Cebuano. After breakfast, he looked again and realized it was a child. He flagged down a passing motorcyclist to alert the barangay.
“When I looked closer, I saw it was a child. So when a motorbike passed by, I told the rider to let the barangay know. Perhaps this is the one they are looking for,” Torres said. He described the boy as face down, his head buried in mud, his back raised.
The Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) confirmed that residents of Sitio Toril reported the finding to the Mandaue City command center.
Who was Yuri?
Beyond the tragedy, Repaja remembers Yuri as a cheerful and playful child who loved being around other children. He was respectful to elders, always greeting them when he passed by. He was her firstborn, one of two children.
“He was a good boy. He always smiled,” Repaja said, her eyes welling with tears. “I will miss his laughter.”
The family is now preparing for Yuri's funeral, while the community in Budlaan mourns the loss of a young life taken too soon. The CCDRRMO reminds parents to keep children away from creeks and waterways during heavy rains, as flash floods can occur without warning.
Frequently asked questions about the Budlaan creek drowning
What caused the boy to be swept away?
Heavy rain caused the creek in Sitio Gawad Kalinga to swell. The boy lost his grip while trying to retrieve a ball near the water's edge and was carried by the strong current.
When did the incident happen?
The boy was swept away at around 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15. His body was found the following morning at around 9 a.m.
Where was the boy found?
His body was found in Sitio Toril, Barangay Tingub, Mandaue City, after being caught in a net and entangled in a tree near a bridge.
What safety measures are being advised?
The CCDRRMO advises parents to keep children away from creeks and waterways during heavy rains, as flash floods can occur quickly and without warning.