A devastating construction site accident in the Philippines has left families heartbroken as rescue teams officially ended their search for survivors following a building collapse that occurred early Sunday morning.
Lea Casilao, 47, described the daily routine she shared with her husband Joselito – morning text messages that began each day with her “Good morning” greeting and his response of “Good morning, love.” However, Sunday brought only silence.
Casilao explained that her spouse had been staying overnight in the workers’ housing facility on Saturday, as they had been texting until evening hours. This meant he was likely inside when the structure under construction in Angeles, located north of Manila, came crashing down at daybreak on Sunday.
Officials terminated search and rescue activities Monday night after emergency responders used specialized life detection equipment and found no indications of survivors trapped in the wreckage.
Recovery operations for the deceased began Tuesday.
“My hope of still finding him alive has collapsed,” Casilao expressed, her voice filled with emotion.
The grieving wife recounted how she and her husband had arranged to meet at the construction location Sunday afternoon, where he was supposed to collect her. When she couldn’t contact him, she traveled directly to the site and witnessed the destruction of concrete debris, twisted metal, and fallen scaffolding.
“I kept calling his number, but nothing,” Casilao shared while sitting in a temporary shelter as heavy machinery worked outside to remove debris from the roadway.
Other families sat nearby, anxiously awaiting updates about their missing relatives.
“We know how hard this is for you,” stated Maria Leah Sajili, information officer at the regional Bureau of Fire Protection, during a Tuesday news conference.
“We sympathise with what you are going through. Rest assured, we did everything we could to save lives, and now we have to move forward,” she added.
The confirmed death toll stands at four people, including one Malaysian citizen whose body was retrieved Sunday from an adjacent hotel structure also damaged in the collapse. Sixteen individuals, primarily construction workers, are still unaccounted for.
Among the fatalities was the father of 19-year-old Evelyn Alicaway. She learned about the accident from her uncle, and after viewing footage on social media, she recognized her father among those rescue workers were trying to extract from the debris.
“Even with his face blurred, I knew right away it was him. It hurt me so much to see my father like that,” Alicaway said through tears during her father’s funeral service.
Officials have initiated an investigation into the cause of the structural failure and whether the project exceeded its approved construction permits. While authorization was granted for only nine floors, a swimming pool was being built on a tenth level.
The Philippine labor agency had halted construction at the location in September 2025 due to safety infractions, but removed the work stoppage order one month later after the company addressed regulatory requirements.
“We hope the owner will take responsibility and address what happened to the workers. The families are also suffering. This is not what we wanted, but they need to coordinate with us,” said Rosenda, Alicaway’s mother.
