Budoy the dog rescues sponsored child

“God must have really loved us that he used even a dog to rescue us”

Florence Joy Maluyo, Development Communications Specialist

The family calls him Budoy. He grew up with Vincent, sponsored child from Daculan, Estancia, Iloilo. Budoy is a big dog. He usually wanders off from the house to the barangay hall, half kilometer away, where children usually gather around and play.

“During the typhoon, he was not in the house. He was probably in my sister’s place near the barangay hall.”

The family didn’t think of evacuating at first, thinking that the typhoon won’t be strong.

“When the wind started blowing hard, that’s when we began to panic. We heard a sound and soon, our roof is gone,” said Emily.

They transferred to a small nipa hut but minutes later, water from the sea started rushing in.

“The water rose so fast, it was already on waist level. My husband decided to carry our youngest on his back and go to the barangay hall. He told us to wait for him and he will go back for us. But when they went out, just few meters away, I noticed that the water is just unstoppable so I decided to get Vincent and we followed them. It was very hard. We were swimming and at the same time avoiding the falling coconut trees.”

What scared Emily most, according to her was when Vincent suddenly shouted and fainted because he saw his father and brother being taken by the water.

“I started shouting. I never thought such thing could be happening. I slapped him so hard so he would wake up and thank God he did. When he embraced me, I knew I had to be strong. I am his mother, I have to be one.”

Fortunately, the father had a grip on a cable from a fallen electric post. For Emily and Vincent, however, the water was already on breast level and since the road is in between fishponds and it is so narrow, they almost didn’t make it.

Then came Budoy.

“We heard him barking, coming to us. The waves were taking him back but he just won’t stop swimming toward us. He was trying to get something from inside the water. Then Vincent saw. It’s a cable. And that gave me hope.”

But swimming half a kilometer already drained Emily and Vincent’s strength.

“Then Budoy started pushing Vincent. He pushed and pushed and pushed. All the while, he was on our back, trying to push us both while we were holding on to the cable. The struggle seemed to last for forever but Budoy pushed us until we reached the fallen electric post and we were able to hold onto it. A rescuer was already there, waiting for us.”

Emily said that he saw Budoy swimming again after they were put into safety. The family then went to the barangay hall which they thought would shelter them. However, just around 30 minutes after, they saw everyone coming out. The water has reached the hall. Neck-level this time. Everyone rushed into swimming another half kilometer to get to the barangay captain’s house.

“I didn’t know how we got there. There were hundreds of us, swimming for our lives. Every time, a mother would lose grip of her child then the people will help rescue. We were swimming with already dead animals, with the things we have been working for and with the fallen trees. It was the most horrifying scene in my life.”

Fortunately, everyone got to the Captain’s house safely. The following morning, everyone went back to their houses. Electric posts, trees, kitchen utensils, clothes were all around. A total devastation.

“While on our way home, Vincent remembered Budoy and he went near the Barangay Hall to look for him. He was searching for his dog until we heard him shout, saying he found him.”

The family looked into the direction Vincent pointed. Budoy was there. In the middle of all the ruins, the dog was lying.

“We saw him. But this time, he’s lifeless. Vincent found him near the electric post where he brought us. He could have swam for his life, too but perhaps, he has been too tired from pushing us back to safety. So he died.”

Until today, Emily cannot believe that they’re alive. The family was left with nothing but each other.

“God must have really loved us that he used even a dog to rescue us. We do not know where to start but we are grateful that Budoy came when Vincent and I were face-to-face with death. He must be smiling by now.”