A Cebu family narrowly escaped death during the onslaught of Typhoon Tino by using floating buckets as makeshift life vests after being swept away by raging floodwaters in Barangay Cotcot, Liloan.
Trapped in Rising Floodwaters
Lorlie Llanto Bonghanoy, 41, described the terrifying experience as her "second life" after she, her husband Edu, 39, and their 13-year-old daughter were caught in the devastating flood on November 4, 2025. The nightmare began around 5:00 AM when heavy rains and strong winds from Typhoon Tino started pounding their community in Colorado 2, Jubay, Liloan.
Edu had ventured out to move their vehicle and motorcycle to higher ground at the local market. But when he attempted to return to their subdivision, floodwaters rose rapidly to chest level, preventing him from reaching his family. Left inside their home were Lorlie and their teenage daughter, watching helplessly as water continued to rise.
Improvised Survival and Dramatic Rescue
"I noticed our three neighbors had already evacuated using an airbed," Lorlie recalled during an emotional interview with Attorney Ruhphil Fernandez Bañoc on DyHP RMN Cebu. As water levels surpassed chest height and threatened to engulf their home, Edu shouted from outside, urging them to evacuate immediately.
Fearing for their lives and unable to swim, Lorlie grabbed floating buckets that had entered their home, transforming them into improvised life vests. "My daughter suggested we swim toward her father," she shared. With buckets as their only protection, they ventured into the dangerous currents.
Their neighbor spotted them and shouted that Edu was waiting midway. The family drifted through the powerful flood until they reached a mango tree where Edu managed to grab them. "I prayed to all the saints, I called on my mother and father to guide us," Lorlie emotionally recounted. "When we reached my husband, we struggled to reach the edge until we hit that tree."
Heroic Rescue and Unexpected Consequences
Their salvation came through Anthony Francis Narvasa, a 31-year-old wing van driver originally from Villaba, Leyte, who had been stranded in Liloan with other vehicles from Leyte. Police Lieutenant Colonel Dindo Alaras and his team had approached several wing van drivers for assistance with rescue operations, but many refused.
Narvasa, however, didn't hesitate. Together with his helper Ric Vincent Arañez, another driver known as Felix, and Patrolman Niño Divinagracia, he used his wing van to rescue the six people in danger. They first saved the three neighbors on the airbed, then proceeded to rescue the Bonghanoy family who were clinging to the mango tree.
Despite his heroic actions, Narvasa faced unexpected consequences. When his Chinese employer saw the viral rescue video on November 7, 2025, he became angry, confiscated the vehicle keys, and terminated both Narvasa and his helper's employment.
"I admit I didn't immediately inform the owner, thinking our vehicle wasn't damaged," Narvasa explained. The father of three children aged 6 years, 4 years, and 4 months has since returned to Cebu City to help his sibling sell siomai and fried chicken near Pardo Church to support his family back in Leyte.
Despite losing his job for saving six lives, Narvasa continues to apologize to the vehicle owner for using the wing van without permission. He remains hopeful about finding new employment in Cebu to provide for his family in Leyte.
