THE man who fed us and who cared for us is gone.
Thus said Marissa Laguna Bongo, 42, when asked about the death of her husband, Elvin Cuba Bongo, 45.
Elvin died at 3 p.m. last Saturday, Oct. 15, or 25 hours after he was rushed to the hospital in critical condition at 2:10 pm last Friday, Oct. 14.
Elvin died last Saturday, a day after a wall in the construction site where he worked collapsed.
Marissa had just slightly recovered from a rare disease,a which the Uy Medical Clinic in Tres de Abril, Cebu City diagnosed as “germs in her brain.”
Elvin, the sole bread winner in a family of six, in the most untimely of ways, left the sickly Marissa, and their four children, namely, Marvin, 24; Alvin Mark, 16; Elmarie, 12; and Christian Jay, 9, on their own.
Elvin’s mother Teresita Bongo, 67, lost consciousness when she saw her lifeless son in the hospital.
Teresita said Elvin loved his family so much that he was willing to sacrifice everything so they would survive their financial straits.
Crisis
They always had no food on the table, especially when Marissa was hospitalized several times at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC).
Marissa said she can’t remember every time she was hospitalized. Teresita said Marissa will suddenly suffer a convulsion and Elvin will rush her to the hospital.
The VSMMC doctors failed to diagnose her illness.
It was only when they consulted the Uy Medical Clinic that she was diagnosed that her brain was attacked by germs.
Elvin borrowed money from friends and bought the medicines prescribed by doctors. It was then that Marissa slowly recovered.
Elvin was employed with Citi Hardware for more than two years in other projects in Cebu City. He rose from the ranks, first receiving P300 a day then to P500 a day when he became a foreman.
But when Elvin made several absences to take care of Marissa who was hospitalized and to guide their children, he was terminated from the service.
It was only last month, when Marissa recovered that Elvin applied to work for a Citi Hardware project in Cotcot.
From P500 a day, Elvin only received P300 this time, which is below the minimum wage of P352 as ordered by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB).
Teresita said Elvin is the third of nine siblings. She said that it is very unfortunate that he died at the young age of 45, leaving a sick wife and young children.
Marissa’s niece Erlene Grace Laguna said her aunt (Marissa) ran out of medicine and she is worried because her illness may recur.
Laguna said he is planning to ask for assistance from Danao City Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano III to buy all the remaining medicine prescription to Marissa’s complete recovery.
Financial help
Liloan Mayor Cristina Garcia Frasco said that the Local Government Unit (LGU) ready to extend assistance to the victims and their families.
“We condole with the families of the victims of this tragic incident, and we continue to pray for the recovery of the injured,” Frasco said.
Frasco said that let us not forget, however, that the primary responsibility for the safety of the workers is with the contractor and its principal, and they must bear the liability for the consequences of this incident, as well be determined in the post-investigation.