A TRIBUTE TO KATHRYN JOY LOMADILLA

Who can forget the most dreadful World disaster that happens in the year 2004? It was a month ago when the whole world was shocked by the news of a killer Tsunami that hits the countries of southeast asia and africa, a day after Christmas. Thousand of people perished the said catastrophe. Countries who are devastated are Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Bangladesh, Somalia and Thailand.

Sad to say that among those who lost their lives are our fellow Filipinos. These "Kababayan" of ours are working in this mentioned countries when the Tsunami hits their place. To be more specific one our Kababayan from Sorsogon was included in the list of those who died in that horrible killer wave.

Joy Lomadilla

KATHRYN JOY LOMADILLA, 22 years old of 8th st. OLV Pangpang was one of the thousand people who lost her life on the December 26 tragedy. KATHRYN JOY LOMADILLA was working as a Pro Choreographer in SOFITEL MAGIC LAGOON HOTEL located at KHAO LAK, PANG NGA PROVINCE,THAILAND. JOY (as she is commonly called) is only 5 months working in Thailand.

JOY was reportedly missing after several days when the Tsunami strucked Khao Lak, Thailand. JAY DECAYCO (Joy's Boyfriend) is also working in Thailand (Phuket) when the disaster happened, JAY survived the catastrophe. Right after the Tsunami, Jay try to contact Joy on her cellphone, but to no avail. Jay want to go to Khao Lak immediately but his employer don't permit to go due to some reason.

It was already December 29, 2004 when Jay has a chance to go to Khao Lak to checked what happen to Joy. Jay arrived at Sofitel Hotel and Joy's other companions tell him that Joy is missing,untill they a recieved a phone call telling them that they have Joy's body. A Thai Family mistakenly toke Joy's body and brought it to Bangkok knowing that it is their sister.

JAY immediately informed Joy's Family in the Philippines. That time (in the Philippines) Joy was reported in all TV and Radio through out the country,as still missing. Joy's older sister KRISTINE MAY LOMADILLA, who is a member of the BAYANIHAN DANCE TROOP started to look for a possible ways to flew to Bangkok. With the help of Mayor Lito Atienza (Mayor of Manila) Ambassador Antonio Rodriguez and Consol Bernie Candolada, KRISTINE flew to Thailand on New Year's day.

Finally KRISTINE MAY (Joy's sister) identified Joy's body at the Bangkok Hospital Morgue. It was only then that Joy's Family confirmed that she perished in that disaster. Joy's remains was cremated on January 4, 2005, present during the cremation are Ambassador Antonio Rodriguez, Ms.Grace Bañez (Philippine Embassy) Ms Edith Sethandha (Filipino Community) Kristine, Jay and Viralyn Torecampo.

January 6, 2005 when KRISTINE MAY left Thailand via Thai Airways and a few minutes after, JAY DECAYCO left Thailand too bringing the URN of Joy's ashes. Upon arriving Manila, Joy's URN was housed at Philippine Womens University Chapel, hosted by the BAYANIHAN PHILIPPINES FOLK DANCE COMPANY. For teh imformation of everybody, JOY LOMADILLA is already a member of the Bayanihan Dance Troop before she left for Thailand, in fact she already travelled with the group at Pusan,Korea. She only went to Thailand for a short termed contract.

Joy's urn was brought by her Family to Daraga,Albay since her Father is from that place. She stayed there for a couple days (Jan.08-09,2005}

KATHRYN JOY LOMADILA was born on November 27, 1983 and grew up in Sorsogon. Joy and her sister Kristine are the founder of BALLET DE SORSOGON, whom they founded, February 1997. BALLET DE SORSOGON became very famous in Sorsogon Province as far as Ballet and other Dances are concerned. A lot of young Ballerinas from different Schools was trained by JOY, being the Choreographer of Ballet de Sorsogon. Various Workshop and Recitals are conducted by Ballet de Sorsogon.

Indeed the contribution of KATHRYN JOY LOMADILLA's GOD given talent to SORSOGON will remain in the heart of her student and it will be a Legacy to be remembered.

A tribute concert was was conducted in memory of her. Ballet de Sorsogon lead the concert and supported by different groups, who in one way or another, touched by Joy's talent in one way or another.
The end part of the show is very emotional as JOY's student bid their farewell message to her. The said Tribute concert was held at the Sorsogon Capitol Park last January 12, 2005.

Now that KATHRYN JOY LOMADILLA is in the mighty hands of GOD, may she found eternal peace and joy. To you JOY our heartfelt gratitude for sharing your Talent to the people of Sorsogon. TO YOU KATHRYN JOY LOMADILLA, MAY YOU REST IN PEACE.


To be continued, for more about Kathryn Joy Lomadilla (1983 - 2004)

GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES...GOD BLESS SORSOGON....

2004 had passed away....leaving us a lot of memories, some are happy but some are sad memories. We are now embracing year 2005 hoping that this year is a year of great hope for all of us.

It is only now that i've realized and decided to write and post this article of what had happened here in SORSOGON just this December 2, 2004. To my Kababayan na mga taga SORSOGON through out the world, I want you to know that something stranged happened here in our place. What happened here last December is relevant to what had happened to our neighboring countries here in Asia, a day after Christmas.

It all begun at around 10:00 pm of December 2, 2004 while typhoon "Yoyong" is about to cross the Bicol Region, including Sorsogon. I'ts a windy,rainy and stormy night when a man who is a resident of pier site in Bgy.Talisay allegedly gave the alarm that a "Buhawi"(Tornado) was about to hit Sorsogon City. The word quickly spread like wildfire as the neighborhood began to panic.

One of the neighbor of that man (who started the alarm) said that he was listening to the radio (DZRH) the news about the typhoon when he heard a shout urging everyone to run for safety or should i say to run for their lives. "Mga bandang alas diyes san gab-i san bigla na lang may nagparasiyak na may maabot kuno na Buhawi...pagkakita ko na nagparalanat na an mga tawo, pinurukaw ko tolos an asawa ko nan an mga batit ko. Pakaradto sa simbahan an daralagan san tawo, kaya didto man kami duminalagan." the witness narrated.

Few of those who panics went to the Police Sub-station no.1 located near the church and informed the policemen on dutuy. Alarmed, the police promptly boarded a service vehicle and went around to warn residents of the coming "Danger".Those residents who panicked belongs to the costal barangays, like of Sirangan,Talisay,Bitan-o,Cabid-an (Seabreeze)Sampaloc and Cambulaga.

Witnessed said, people scampered towards the highway while others rode in all kinds of vehicles to escape the coming danger. Text messages from panicked relatives reached the towns of Castilla, Casiguran, Juban, Magallanes and Bulan, causing a chain reaction of mass hysteria. Because of this situation, most people run and panicked without even knowing why they are running....some says "Basta nakabati kami sin mga warning na mag harali na kami sa mga balay namon kaya nagdaralagan man kami."

It was around 1:00 o'clock in the morning when the commotion subsides...The people of Sorsogon begun Thanking GOD "Salamat sa Diyos wara man sin Buhawi", so the people returned to their houses and rested. Afterwards the man who started the warning was asked what he sees that night that urge him to shout the warning who triggered the panicked. "Wara man ako pagsiyak nin Buhawi...an sabi ko ugaring, may nakita ako na maitom na dampog na korteng pinuso sa tapat san Sablayan, Juban...an sabi ko, basi Buhawi idto" narrates the witness.

Since nothing happened, no Buhawi arrived, the people says it is a False Alarm. I've only realized what happened when the Killer Tsunami hits the Countries of Southeast Asia like, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Maldives, Bangladesh and Somalia in Africa. The whole world was shocked by the news of that Catastrophe that hit these Countries a day after Christmas (December 26,2004)who claimed the lives of thousand people in a split second disaster.

I can't help myself but to contemplate what had happened to Sorsogon on that night of December 2,2004.... WHAT ABOUT IF THAT BUHAWI (TORNADO) IS REAL AND NOT A FALSE ALARM?...GOD FORBID...As i am watching on Television the thousand people who perished on that Killer Tsunami...what i can do is Praise and THANK GOD for sparing Sorsogon from that Dreadful, alleged Buhawi. Mga Kababayan ko'ng taga Sorsogon how Blessed we are that GOD spare our Province sa mga Kalamidad na nag aragi sa aton san naka-agi na taon 2004. Damo-damo an dapat naton na ipagpasalamat sa mahal na Diyos, nan sana maging eye opener o mag serbing pam-pukaw sa aton an mga pangyayari na idto san December 2,2004. Matuto na kita na ingatan an satuyang Kapalibutan (Environment) asin orog sa gabos an pagtubod asin pag pangadyi sa Mahal na Diyos na permi kitang isalbar sa mga kasakitan. I don't want to sound so religious pero amo ini an inhahagad san pagkakataon. Kaya niyan na 2005 sana maging okey an gabos.. Hagadan ta sa Diyos na padagos kitang ingatan lalo na sa mga Kalamidad... Sa inda mga Kabayan ko,ng taga Sorsogon....Mabuhay kita gabos! GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES....GOD BLESS SORSOGON!

Acknowledgement: The Author wishes to Thanks Mr.Jun Galias of Sorsogon NOW and
Radio DZRS for sharing with me his news write-ups about the Buhawi.
Thank You very much Jun.