How ‘Lolo Kiko’ blessed a Yolanda survivor

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Yolanda survivor Jenita Aguilar prays that when Pope Francis reaches the pearly gates, he would be embraced by the Lord and the son she had lost to the disaster

LEYTE, Philippines – It was in November 2013 when Jenita Aguilar held her son Rujin in her arms for the very last time.

Her family was among the thousands in the Eastern Visayas region whose lives were left in complete disarray after Super Typhoon Yolanda swept and tore through everything in its path.

Heavy rain brought a raging flood to their coastal village in San Jose, Tacloban City, Leyte. As they tried to escape the current by going on top of their family’s store, Rujin would be swept by the water—never to be seen again.

Their belongings were flogged, their house in shambles, and now her little boy, gone as well. For the mother, it felt as if God had punished them and that they were no longer His favorite children.

In the months that followed, the Aguilars experienced poor living conditions in evacuation centers, a lack of access to potable water and electricity, and more hardships as Super Typhoon Ruby came and destroyed more homes in the province in 2014.

“Bakit ba nangyari pa eto sa amin (why did it have to happen to us),” Aguilar told Rappler on Friday, April 25. 

The mother shared that the series of events was enough for her to question her faith in the Lord and His ways: If at all, there was any higher purpose for their suffering.

It wasn’t until January 17, 2015 that she would come to regret her thoughts on God upon seeing a “miracle” unravel before her. On that day, Pope Francis had come to Leyte.

The touch

Arriving at the Daniel Z. Romualdez airport, Pope Francis who was clad in a yellow rain coat greeted the Leytehanons with a smile and words like sei coraggioso (you are courageous).

“Noong pumunta sa Palo si Pope Francis, di namin inakala na dyan siya sa amin hihinto tapos parang bumaba siya sa sasakyan,” Aguilar said.

(When Pope Francis went to Palo, we did not think that he would stop by our place and went down his vehicle)

Aguilar, by sheer instinct, moved towards the Holy Father, passing through the large crowd and eventually, reached him. She was able to touch his hand and felt a familiar warmth.

“Tumatawa siya at nahawakan ko siya (He was laughing and I held him),” the mother said.

While their meeting was brief, Pope Francis made sure that she would receive a rosary—a special reminder of that moment.

Aguilar still has that rosary. She keeps it next to a portrait of the Pope on the altar of their house.

“Nabigyan ako ng pag-asa. Parang nabalik ang faith ko ni Lord…parang ginawa siyang instrumento para bumalik ako,” the mother said.

(I was given hope. It was as if my faith in the Lord had been restored…it was as if he had been used as an instrument for me to return)

FAITH. Jenita Aguilar keeps the rosary she got from Pope Francis next to a portrait of him on their home’s altar. Photo by John Sitchon/Rappler

Together now

News of the Pope’s passing was painful for Aguilar. It was as if she had relived the moment she had lost her son, she said.

Despite this, she was still grateful for the gifts she had continued to receive after meeting him.

In May 2015, their family was given a new house in the Pope Francis Village in New Kawayan. The village was built with the help of various organizations, including SM Cares, ANCOP Canada, and the Archdiocese of Palo. 

The Pope, through the archdiocese, sponsored free weddings for the villagers, including she and her husband, Ruby. Their eldest daughter, Junko Jenry Elizabeth, was also accepted as a scholar at a Tacloban-based university.

In 2018, she and other family members of Yolanda victims were sent as delegates to a mass led by Pope Francis in Dublin, Ireland.

Through all her hardships, Aguilar believed that the Pope had been there for her. 

As the Pope was laid to rest on Saturday, April 26, Aguilar’s only prayer is for the Lord to welcome Lolo Kiko in His arms and for the beloved father to accept Rujin in his embrace as well.

“Magkasama na sila ni Lord (They are now together with the Lord),” Aguilar concluded.

NEVER FORGOTTEN. Rujin Aguilar was seven years old when he was swept away by flash flood in November 2013. He would have been 19 this year. Photo by John Sitchon/Rappler

– Rappler.com