Cavite couple survives factory blast (asbestos saved husband)

TRECE MARTIRES CITY, Cavite—It was difficult for Lilibeth Doncillo to look at the wrecked site of Starmaker, two days after the firecracker factory exploded, leaving at least six people dead.

She has worked as a utility staff for seven years while her husband Pedro, 44, was in charge of the factory’s maintenance for five years.

When her chores were done, Lilibeth, 36, would join other employees in wrapping the firecrackers inside the building like what she did that Thursday morning.

“I suddenly heard a loud explosion,” she recalled.

Lilibeth rushed towards the exit when fire started engulfing the whole area.

“I could not see anything because of the thick smoke,” she said.

On her way out, she said there were boulders, pieces of glass and iron sheets flying around, until a wooden door fell over, hitting her on the head and back.

She fell to the ground and became unconscious for a few seconds. “I thought it was going to end like that,” she said.

When she regained consciousness, she called out to her husband.

‘I thought of my children’

“Then I thought of my children. They are still young,” she said. This prompted her to get up and hurry outside the building.

Pedro’s station was near the front of the factory compound.

“I just came from inside (the building) because I took out asbestos,” he said. “It was just a matter of seconds. Had I stayed there longer, I could have died.”

He was back to his station when Pedro heard a blast immediately followed by a louder explosion. He ran towards the banana trees, at the corner of the compound, and jumped over the concrete fence to save himself.

“The fire was enormous. It was red and the smoke was black,” he described.

Pedro said he remembered that his wife was inside so he went around the front entrance.

Luckily, another worker saw him and told him not to go back because Lilibeth was already outside.

Pedro had no single scratch from the accident.

He met with his wife in the hospital where she was being treated for concussion on the head and abrasions and burns on the arms and legs.

He learned that Lilibeth managed to escape the then burning building and was one of the first few survivors taken to the Emilio Aguinaldo Hospital in Barangay Luciano.

Until now, Lilibeth could not sit or lie because of the bruises on her back. The couple said they still could not eat right since the incident. But they were thankful they survived.

When the explosion happened, their 6 and 12-year-old kids were in school, said Lilibeth.

The school principal announced the explosion in the factory with news that no one survived the explosion.

Lilibeth said her children just sat in one corner, so shocked that a teacher had to carry her youngest son home.

“My son jumped to his feet and hugged me when he saw me,” she said.

The couple left their home in Barangay Luciana for work—Pedro on his bike while Lilibeth on a tricycle with her friend Honorate Lugame, 60, and other employees of Starmaker.

Lugame’s body has not been recovered. Angelo Francisco, whose body was identified, was Lilibeth’s nephew.

The couple was earning a combined wage of P293 a day from Starmaker.

The Doncillos said they had not met with the Starmaker management yet but were hearing news about the owners going to visit and extend aid to them.

The couple said the factory was strictly implementing safety precautions in the workplace.

Safety

“Every week we are called to a meeting to remind us of the safety measures,” Pedro said.

The compound was a “no smoking” area.

“When you work on a table and there is powder left, you should not wipe it with plastic or your hand but with a damp cloth,” Lilibeth said, citing a safety measure that was strictly practiced.

Supt. Efren Castro, Cavite deputy provincial director for administration said the incident remained under investigation by the Task Force Starmaker.

As of Saturday, police reported six confirmed dead: Clodilio Iso, Angelo Francisco, Marlon Rodrin, Deonedes Enano, Christian Panganiban and Gerardo Amparo Jr.

The search continued for the remains of Honorata Lugame, Belen Rodriguez, Susan Decillo, and Erickson Layno.

The municipal government has also set up tents at the site to assist the survivors. – Maricar Cinco, Southern Luzon Bureau, Philippine Daily Inquirer