Blogger’s Note: The Singapore Straits Times is running this wire report on Sept 29. A genuine source of great pride for Filipinos here in Singapore.

MANILA — Teenager Muelmar Magallanes braved

rampaging floods to save more than 30 people, but

ended up sacrificing his life in a last trip to rescue a

baby girl who was being swept away on a styrofoam

box.

Yesterday, family members and the people saved by the

18-year-old construction worker hailed him as a hero,

as his body lay in a coffin at a makeshift evacuation

centre near their destroyed Manila riverside village.

“I am going to be forever grateful to Muelmar. He gave

his life for my baby. I will never forget his sacrifice,” said

Ms Menchie Penalosa, the mother of the six-month-old

girl he carried to safety before being swept away

himself.

Magallanes was at home last Saturday with his family

when tropical storm Ketsana unleashed the heaviest

rains in more than 40 years on the Philippine capital and

surrounding areas.

At first the family, long used to heavy rains, paid little

attention to the storm.

But Magallanes and his father decided to evacuate the

family once they realised the river 800m away had burst

its banks.

With the help of an older brother, Magallanes tied a

string around his waist and attached it one-by-one to

his three younger siblings, whom he took to higher

ground. Then he came back for his parents.

But Magallanes, a strong swimmer, decided to go back

for his neighbours who where trapped on rooftops.

He ended up making many trips, and eventually saved

more than 30 people from drowning, witnesses and

survivors said.

Tired and shivering, Magallanes was back on higher

ground with his family when he heard Ms Penalosa

screaming as she and her baby were being swept away

on the polystyrene box they were using in an attempt to

cross the swift currents.

He dived back in after the mother and daughter, who

were already a few metres away and bobbing

precariously among the debris floating on the brown

water.

“I didn’t know that the current was so strong. In an

instant, I was under water. We were going to die,” said

Ms Penalosa, her eyes welling with tears and voice

choking with emotion.

“Then this man came from nowhere and grabbed us.

He took us to where the other neighbours were, and

then he was gone,” said Ms Penalosa.

She and other witnesses said an exhausted Magallanes

was simply washed away amid the torrent of water.

Neighbours found his body on Sunday, along with those

of 28 others who perished in Manila’s worst flooding in

decades.

Standing next to his coffin, Magallanes’ parents paid

tribute to their son.

“He always had a good heart,” said his father, Samuel.

“We had already been saved. But he decided to go back

one last time for the girl.”

His mother, Maria Luz, wept as she described her

MANILA: Teenager Muelmar Magallanes braved rampaging floods to save more than 30 people, but ended up sacrificing his life in a last trip to rescue a baby girl who was being swept away on a styrofoam box.

Yesterday, family members and the people saved by the 18-year-old construction worker hailed him as a hero, as his body lay in a coffin at a makeshift evacuation centre near their destroyed Manila riverside village.

“I am going to be forever grateful to Muelmar. He gave his life for my baby. I will never forget his sacrifice,” said Ms Menchie Penalosa, the mother of the six-month-old girl he carried to safety before being swept away himself.

Magallanes was at home last Saturday with his family when tropical storm Ketsana unleashed the heaviest rains in more than 40 years on the Philippine capital and surrounding areas.

At first the family, long used to heavy rains, paid little attention to the storm. But Magallanes and his father decided to evacuate the family once they realised the river 800m away had burst its banks.

With the help of an older brother, Magallanes tied a string around his waist and attached it one-by-one to his three younger siblings, whom he took to higher ground. Then he came back for his parents.

But Magallanes, a strong swimmer, decided to go back for his neighbours who where trapped on rooftops. He ended up making many trips, and eventually saved more than 30 people from drowning, witnesses and survivors said.

Tired and shivering, Magallanes was back on higher ground with his family when he heard Ms Penalosa screaming as she and her baby were being swept away on the polystyrene box they were using in an attempt to cross the swift currents.

He dived back in after the mother and daughter, who were already a few metres away and bobbing precariously among the debris floating on the brown water.

“I didn’t know that the current was so strong. In an instant, I was under water. We were going to die,” said Ms Penalosa, her eyes welling with tears and voice choking with emotion.

“Then this man came from nowhere and grabbed us. He took us to where the other neighbours were, and then he was gone,” said Ms Penalosa.

She and other witnesses said an exhausted Magallanes was simply washed away amid the torrent of water.

Neighbours found his body on Sunday, along with those of 28 others who perished in Manila’s worst flooding in decades.

Standing next to his coffin, Magallanes’ parents paid tribute to their son.

“He always had a good heart,” said his father, Samuel.

“We had already been saved. But he decided to go back one last time for the girl.” His mother, Maria Luz, wept as she described her son as incredibly brave.

“He saved so many people, but ended up not being able to save himself.” Agence France-Presse

***

Contrast that story with this one: The presidential son scouring for liquor at a convenience store as thousands of flood victims were begging for rescue and government help. And you can pretty much see what evil lurks in the hearts of men.