“Tama nana nga ulan” (enough of the rains) — these were the haunting final words of 23-year-old vlogger Mary Mae Colas Urdelas, posted on Facebook just hours before she drowned in floodwaters in Ivisan, Capiz, as Tropical Storm Ramil battered the province.
The tragedy occurred around 5 p.m. on October 18 in Sitio Bagaas Almon, Barangay Malocloc Sur, where Urdelas, who also worked at a school canteen, was walking home with her brother and sister-in-law.
According to Barangay Captain Allan de los Santos, a pole had been installed across the flooded creek to help residents cross safely. Urdelas’s brother had already reached the other side when her sister-in-law slipped.
Urdelas turned back to help but lost her footing and was swept away by the strong current. Her sister-in-law managed to cling to safety, but Urdelas was carried downstream.
Her brother, a barangay tanod (village watchman), immediately sought help from de los Santos for a rescue.
By 8 p.m., authorities recovered Urdelas’s body roughly a kilometer from where she was last seen.
The Ivisan Municipal Police Station said it coordinated with the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office for the operation, but responders had to wait for the floodwaters to subside due to dangerous conditions and impassable roads.
Capiz Provincial Police Director Col. Albert Tapulao confirmed that no other fatalities related to Tropical Storm Ramil have been reported.