LAPAZ FIRE GRIEF: Loved ones share heart-wrenching messages over death of civil engineering student

By Jennifer P. Rendon

For Cherryl Joy Aguilar, losing her son is a nightmare from which she desperately wishes to awaken.

Cherryl, a public school teacher, expressed her sorrow on her Facebook account following the death of her 21-year-old son, Renz David Aguilar, in a fire incident in La Paz, Iloilo City, on Sunday afternoon.

“Pabugtawa ko Ginoo kon isa lang ini ka damgo,” Cherryl posted, praying that this is only a dream.

Just before that, she had written, “Toto Renz David Aguilar namon nga pinalangga (Renz David Aguilar our beloved),” followed by several crying emojis, expressing her love for her departed son.

Cherryl learned of the fire after Renz David’s younger sister, who shared a room with him at the destroyed boarding house in Barangay San Nicolas, La Paz, called her.

Her daughter reported a fire at their lodging and mentioned she couldn’t reach her brother. Upon checking social media, Cherryl recognized a wall adjacent to her children’s boarding house.

Cherryl and her husband Randy immediately left their town in Concepcion, Iloilo, to check on their children.

En route to the city, the couple was informed by the caretaker that all boarders had been accounted for.

The caretaker assured them that the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) did not find anyone trapped in the burnt structures.

Despite this, Cherryl posted about her overwhelming anxiety, pleading for divine intervention.

Cherryl’s worst fears materialized when BFP personnel discovered two bodies, one of which was tragically identified as Renz David.

She said she accepts everything, especially the death of her son whom God gave to her to raise.

“Wala gid ta mahimo kay gintugyan lang sa aton nga mangin isa ka ginhikanan. Kag ari kita sa pagtuman kag pagpadako sa iya suno sa kabubut-on sang Diyos,” she reflected, acknowledging the limitations of their role as parents under God’s will.

(We couldn’t do anything because we’re just granted that opportunity to be parents. We’re here to fulfill God’s will).

Cherryl spoke of the pain of bidding farewell to a loving and kind son, and how their children motivated them to work harder.

MATH RIVALS TO LOVERS

The grief over Renz David’s loss extended beyond his family.

His longtime girlfriend, Kimberly Valeriano, shared a poignant tribute. Having known each other since elementary school, Kimberly reminisced about competing with Renz David in mathematics contests, where he often outshone her.

Their relationship blossomed in college after a long friendship.

“Sa bilog ta nga relasyon kag kilalahay puros pagpalangga kag kasadya lng gd gnpabatyag mo,” she shared, recalling the love and joy he brought to her life.

(You gave me nothing but love and happiness.)

“Dabid ko paano ko ka umpisa liwat kung halos tanan ko nga gina ubra upod kgd permi kag ara kgd ma support saakon,” she lamented, pondering how to start anew without his constant presence and support.

(My Dabid, how can I start again when you are with me in everything that I did? You’re always there to support me.)

Valeriano concluded by acknowledging her profound love and gratitude for Renz David.

He was a third-year civil engineering student at the University of San Agustin and stayed at the La Paz boarding house to be close to his sister, who attends the nearby Western Institute of Technology.

The fire also took the life of Lyn Rose Sobretodo, 26, a call center agent from Barangay Casalsagan, Pototan town.