CANLAON CITY — When Typhoon Tino (international name: Kalmaegi) battered Canlaon City on the night of Nov. 2, John Rey Espora did what he was trained to do: respond to the call of duty.
As a member of the city’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO), he braved the storm to rescue others in danger.
He left home that night as a father and a rescuer, but returned only as one of those who had lost everything.
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When the storm subsided, his house was gone. So was his family, swept away by the violent surge of floodwaters.
Before leaving, Espora kissed his 10-year-old son, John Nathan Espora, goodbye. He recalled the moment as both unusual and almost prophetic.
“Before I left for duty, we promised to bond when I came back. I told him we’d eat balut or visit 7-Eleven,” he said in an interview with the Inquirer, his voice trembling.
“He was unusually clingy that night. He hugged me tightly, as if he didn’t want to let go. I didn’t know it was his way of saying goodbye.”
At home, his elder sister Sara had urged their father to evacuate. But he refused. Flooding was rare in their city, even during Typhoon Odette. Living near a stream had never been a cause for alarm.
So they stayed.
At the DRRMO command post, Espora and his team were on standby. Tents were ready for families forced to evacuate, while police and soldiers were stationed nearby. It felt like just another long, rainy night—until the rain became relentless.
“The water from Mt. Kanlaon came rushing down as if poured all at once,” he recalled. “Boulders, logs, even vehicles were being swept away.”
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Panic struck. Espora tried to rush home to save his family, but the floodwaters were too strong. His teammates restrained him, knowing that if he crossed, he would not survive.
“I saw how the current swallowed everything,” he said. “All I could do was watch, pray, and cry.”
When the water subsided, Espora returned to the remains of his house. The only person he found was his sister Sara, covered in mud, trembling, and crying for help.
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“She told me what I was most afraid to hear,” he said. “They were separated when the flood broke the walls of our house. My son was gone.”
His knees gave way. Still wearing his rescue uniform, he dropped to the ground, tears mixing with mud. Yet he did not stop.
With his bare hands, he dug through wreckage, mud, rocks, and debris, hoping to find his loved ones alive. He dug until sunset, and again until dawn.
He first found his younger sister, only her foot visible through the thick mud. One by one, the lifeless bodies of his family members were discovered, carried away by the flood to different locations.
Finally, he found his son.
“When I saw John Nathan, I remembered how he hugged me that night. Now it makes sense,” he said softly.
“He was holding onto a metal pole when we found him. Maybe he thought it would float. He tried to survive. He fought hard.”
John Nathan’s body was trapped beneath a firewall, buried in mud beside a four-wheel vehicle.
Eight of Espora’s family members perished that night. One remains missing.
Every day since, guilt has haunted him.
“I keep blaming myself,” he said, breaking down. “I’m part of the rescue team. I save people. But I couldn’t save my own family. I rescued other people, but not my own family. It hurts. It’s unbearable.”
He remembers how John Nathan used to dance to TikTok trends, greet the mayor with a cheerful smile, and how everyone in the neighborhood loved him.
“He was friendly and full of life. I knew he would have a bright future,” he said. “But maybe God had other plans. No matter how painful, I have to accept that He already took his borrowed life.”
In a city shattered by grief, John Rey Espora stands as both a hero and a reminder of sacrifice—a father who went out to save lives, only to lose the ones he loved most.
For now, his supervisor has allowed him time to grieve and rest. But when asked if he will return, Espora did not hesitate. He still wants to be on the frontlines, saving lives as he always has.
He promised to continue serving, carrying the memory of his son in every life he helps save.
For a rescuer who lost everything, saving others has become his only way of keeping his spirit alive.
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