00:00This is Malinaw, and the water that flows through this irrigation canal is almost half-a-kilometer
00:18in Dingras, in Ilocos Norte, so even if it rains, there are still some people who are brave enough to swim here.
00:36But because the water in the canal comes from the nearby Madongan Dam,
00:41there are chances that in August, it will suddenly overflow.
00:49I was amazed by the strength of the water that was falling there.
00:54That's why many people were swept away and drowned here.
00:58My mother was drowned here. She's old now.
01:01My uncle was in the middle of a flood, but he survived.
01:07I will give up here. The flood, the flood, and I also fell. The water is really strong.
01:14Francis is the last survivor of the canal.
01:20The rescue team couldn't breathe.
01:25When we saw him, his clothes were gone, his braids were gone.
01:33We couldn't see him because the water was so murky, like coffee.
01:37I feel like I want to jump, like I want to go there.
01:51In Ilocos Norte, there is an irrigation canal that was also made into a swimming pool,
01:58but it was named Killer Canal because of the number of people who were accidentally here.
02:07Yesterday, May 14, it was discovered that the 14-year-old Francis was freshening up in the canal.
02:15I was in the canal for a long time.
02:20I was in the canal for a long time.
02:28But in the afternoon,
02:30I was in the canal for a long time.
02:38The canal was flooded.
02:41We were trying to find him, but we couldn't find him.
02:43We were trying to find him, but we couldn't find him.
02:48They immediately notified Francis' mother, Emy, of what had happened.
02:52We all ran there. We looked for Francis.
02:59Others were looking down. I looked for him, but he was not there.
03:03This is the last one.
03:05Untilā¦
03:08Oh, my God!
03:12There was a boy who was looking for him.
03:15He saw his hand moving like this.
03:20Francis was pale and unconscious.
03:24I wanted to jump, like I wanted to go there,
03:29but I couldn't because they said,
03:31You can't jump because you'll get in trouble down there.
03:38The neighbors rallied to rescue Francis.
03:48We couldn't see him because the water was murky, like coffee.
03:51The water was big.
03:53We went there.
03:54Oh, my God!
03:56Oh, my God!
03:58And because they couldn't jump because of the water,
04:03they used a rope and a stick.
04:07I tied the rope, and I went to Francis.
04:10I couldn't hold it because the water was so big.
04:14I let go of the rope.
04:16I fell like this.
04:18That's why Denver's rescue team escaped the water.
04:22Oh, my God!
04:25He was holding the stick in his hand
04:28on the other side of the canal.
04:30Oh, my God!
04:31On the other side of the canal,
04:33I was holding the rope.
04:36While one hand was holding the stick,
04:39the other was trying to lift Francis, who was unconscious.
04:45But Francis couldn't lift his leg.
04:50It went into the rock, so we couldn't pull it.
04:53When the water in the canal calmed down,
04:56that's when they were able to rescue Francis.
05:03I thought it was like a miracle,
05:05but it turned black.
05:07His leg turned black.
05:09Here, it's black.
05:11And here, on his neck.
05:19They even tried to revive his son.
05:22They tried to pump the water out of the canal.
05:27But there was no water.
05:29Only water and blood.
05:36I was forced to ride an ambulance to get to the hospital.
05:40They said,
05:41Why are you running? He's dead.
05:44I said, My son, why don't I run?
05:46I'll just try.
05:48Those words hurt.
05:50I need to run
05:53to prove that he's dead or alive.
05:58Francis was declared dead on arrival.
06:04One month after the tragic tragedy,
06:07Emy still can't believe what happened to her son.
06:11Last night, I dreamed of him lying on his back,
06:14playing in the wind.
06:16I tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen.
06:20Emy's only son, Francis,
06:22is the second son of her British husband.
06:25She said she supported Francis in his love.
06:28She said, I'll cut your hair.
06:30I said, I don't want to.
06:32I don't want you to get hair loss.
06:34I said, my hair will get damaged.
06:36The woman who did the make-up did a good job.
06:39Francis' dream of becoming a fashion designer
06:42will live on in the hair he left behind.
06:46Francis' favorite toy.
06:48He put it in his pocket,
06:50then he tied it up.
06:52Then he did the make-up.
06:54He hid it in his room.
06:56Then he talked to it.
06:58It was like he was alive.
07:00I cried.
07:02It's a good thing the toy is still here.
07:06He's gone.
07:11It's like a dream.
07:14Emy blames her son for drowning.
07:19The residents put wood
07:22as a water barrier.
07:24They're swimming here.
07:26If there's a dam,
07:27the water won't be like this.
07:29If there's a dam, it's good.
07:31Why didn't they go straight?
07:32If they went straight,
07:34there wouldn't be a flood.
07:37If you go to the dam,
07:38there's a dam there.
07:40If the wood is wet,
07:42you can't go in because there's a barrier.
07:44If there's a gate,
07:45there's a barricade.
07:47Maybe.
07:48But bathing or swimming in the canal
07:51is strictly prohibited.
07:53The first time I met him,
07:56it was already prohibited
07:57because of the August floods.
07:59But more people went there.
08:02They didn't tell him
08:04that he can't swim there
08:06or that he can take a bath.
08:07Actually,
08:08Nia and Barangay
08:10didn't forget
08:12that it's prohibited to swim there
08:15because they know
08:16that the water level is high.
08:18The NIA or National Irrigation Administration
08:22started putting
08:24steel grills in the canal
08:26to make sure
08:27that no one can swim here.
08:29Our office sent people there
08:33to make a trash rack cover
08:36so that no one can go in
08:40or even animals.
08:42It's safer for them.
08:43To the residents there,
08:45please be careful.
08:47Don't swim there.
08:49The water level is high.
08:51Keep safe.
08:52If we're talking about
08:54the liability of the NIA
08:56or the local government
08:57or even the operator
08:59of the irrigation system,
09:01we can't conclude
09:03that they're liable
09:05because usually,
09:06by nature,
09:07the irrigation canals are open.
09:09We can't control
09:10who goes there.
09:12All the canals were cleaned
09:13up to the bottom.
09:14The residents there
09:15were really taken care of.
09:17Sorry if I'm not safe
09:20because I don't know.
09:22I don't know
09:23that that's what will happen.
09:26Agus is still alive
09:29just like Emy.
09:30But her son's memory
09:33will never be forgotten.
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