Ligtas ang tatlong gurong Filipino na kabilang sa mga hinahanap sa mapaminsalang wildfire na nangyari sa Lahaina sa Hawaii. Sa kanilang paglikas, may tinulungan at nasagip din silang matandang lalaki na kanilang kapitbahay.
Kinilala ang mga guro na sina Heidee Gudao, Maria Christina Espina, at Angelic Gallario.
"We found him carrying just a pillow and a flashlight," ayon kay Gudao tungkol sa sinagip nilang kapitbahay.
"I asked him what he brought and what clothes he had. He said he had his clothes on. He had no idea, no belongings," patuloy niya.
Unang dinala ang lalaki sa shelter, at kinalaunan ay nakasama na rin ng kaniyang pamilya.
Kabilang ang tatlo sa 50 Pinoy na guro na pinagkalooban ng J-1 visa at nakatalaga sa Maui. Nakasama na nila ang apat pang guro sa Lahaina.
Ayon kay Gudao, iniulat silang nawawala nang mahiwalay sila sa apat nilang kasama habang tumatakas mula sa wildfire na kumitil na ng mahigit 100 katao.
"The three of us went missing because the other four teachers evacuated to a safer location," saad niya.
Hindi umano naging madali ang kanilang paglikas.
"We had no electricity, almost no water due to contamination, and no reception," patungkol nila sa evacuation.
"We went without proper meals – biscuits for breakfast and bread for lunch. We had to ask for food; otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to eat rice. We were there for three days, and the road was blocked," dagdag ni Gudao.
Nagpasalamat si Espina sa mga taong tumulong sa kanila.
"The Filipino community here in Hawaii is hospitable. They are concerned about us. We're the first Filipinos to become teachers in Maui, so they're concerned about us," aniya. —FRJ, GMA Integrated News
