1 munting alaala ng ating Christchurch 11

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Lalaine Agatep.  Mary Louise Ann Amantillo.  Emmabelle Anoba.  Valquin Bensurto.  Ivy Jane Cabunilas.  John Kristoffer Chua.  Jewel Francisco.  Jessie-Lloyd Redoble and Ezra Mae Medalle. Rhea Mae Sumalpong.  Erica Avir Reyes Nora. Gone but still in our hearts.

WE WERE probably very lucky to meet an acquaintance who was (is) a cousin of our Christchurch 11, the 11 kabayan who perished during the February 22nd 2011 Christchurch earthquake, whose 10th anniversary was celebrated yesterday.

I’m sorry to forget if they were in the Garden City for an IELTS review (International English Language Testing System) or for a bridging course to applying their nursing credentials in New Zealand. (11 out of the 11 were Philippine registered nurses or RNs)

But what happened was the day of the earthquake was also the first day of their course. And because most of them had also arrived straight from either the Philippines or from Auckland, they went straight from the airport to the school they were training in, stopping over at their lodgings to just drop their luggage and personal stuff.

We knew this because the cousin was contacted by the police not long after the earthquake, where the bad news was broken to her, and the personal property, as listed next of kin, was surrendered to her.

As the items included valuables, they had to be itemized, and my acquaintance recounted to me her amazement: the luggage was unpacked, and included, in American dollars, all the cash they would need the whole time they were to be in Christchurch.

They had no time between their last journey and their first day in school, but wanted to do as well as they could , especially with the reputation of Filipino nurses as the best in the world. So they couldn’t afford to miss even one day, and went straight to school.

And into eternity.

Mabuhay kayo, Christchurch 11!