A Cebu mother experienced unimaginable loss when Typhoon Tino's devastating floods swept away her entire family, claiming the lives of her husband and three young children in what has become one of the most heartbreaking weather-related tragedies of the season.
The Tragic Events of November 3, 2025
Crizza June Bugtai Espra, 31 years old, watched in horror as floodwaters triggered by Typhoon Tino separated her from her family forever. The Espra family had sought refuge in what they believed was a stronger house in Barangay Tamiao 2, Compostela, Cebu on November 3, 2025, hoping to wait out the storm safely.
When powerful floodwaters arrived, the family climbed onto the roof of their temporary shelter. However, the tremendous force of the water proved too much for the structure. The current swept the entire house away, carrying the Espra family with it as they struggled to survive the raging waters.
A Mother's Desperate Struggle for Survival
As the flood carried them downstream, the family became separated. Crizza lost sight of her husband and children in the churning waters. She later recounted believing those moments would be her last, but managed to grab onto floating debris and trees to keep herself afloat.
Rescue teams eventually found Crizza in the lower areas of their barangay. Though she survived the ordeal, her search for her family members ended in tragedy. Recovery teams located her loved ones in different locations, all without signs of life.
Remembering the Victims
The flood claimed four members of the Espra family:
- James Espra, 29, Crizza's husband
- Sebastian James Espra, their 8-year-old son
- Alessia Isabelle Espra, their 4-year-old daughter
- Kyle Stefan Espra, their 1-year-old son
The family currently remains at their residence in Purok Kaimito, Barangay Cotcot, Liloan, Cebu. Funeral services are scheduled for November 15 of this year, when the Espra family will be laid to rest together.
Crizza's emotional statement, "Pahuway namo ha..." (Let us rest now), captures the profound grief of a woman who has lost everything to nature's fury. The tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the destructive power of typhoons and the importance of emergency preparedness in flood-prone communities across the Philippines.
