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Prayers for Julian Carlo Miguel (Amiel) Alcantara, Grade 4 Student who died from a Car Accident in the Ateneo Campus

Edit (February 27): Links on news updated below

View Photos of Amiel Alcantara’s Balloon Release
Pepe Alcantara’s Eulogy


Candles and flowers on the spot where Amiel Alcantara’a head got pinned by the van’s tire


Julian Carlo Miguel (Amiel) Alcantara, a 10 year old student of the Ateneo de Manila University got fatally hit by a van yesterday afternoon (February 24). News report from the Inquirer said that

A 10-year-old student of the Ateneo elementary school was killed while his nanny was injured when a van hit them on the university’s parking lot in Katipunan, Quezon City, on Tuesday afternoon.

Superintendent Rudie Valoria, head of the Quezon City Police District Traffic Enforcement Unit said a Toyota van (CRW-705) driven by one Ma. Theresa Torres, 37, interior designer and resident of Charbel Executive Village in Mindanao Avenue was involved in the accident.

Valoria said Torres surrendered to the police and has been in custody since then, and would be charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and physical injury.

He identified the fatality as Julian Carlo Miguel Alcantara, 10, and the nanny as Tata Suarez, 65.

The boy, Valoria said, was declared dead on arrival at the New Era Hospital an hour after the accident took place. He died of head injuries.

Suarez was injured in the ankles and shins and was treated at the school infirmary.

The boy’s brother, sister and an unidentified friend who were with the victim at the time of the accident were unharmed.

Here is a 3d simulation of how the accident happened

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

My heart just went out to both the Alcantaras and the Torres Family. I am offering my deepest condolences to the Alcantara family. There are just no words to comfort you. I know both families are in their darkest hour. I can only offer my prayers. I don’t know them personally but our families share a common experience, the untimely and sudden death of our sons. A sudden, accidental, unexpected or traumatic death shatters the world as we know it. It is often a loss that does not make sense.

The sudden tragic event shatters our sense of order and thrusts us into a world forever changed. Survivors of sudden loss may experience a greater sense of vulnerability and heightened anxiety. The safe world we once knew, no longer exists. We fear for ourselves, our family and friends. I can also imagine the classmates of Amiel and the witnesses to the accident. Survivors can become overwhelmingly preoccupied with thoughts that such a random act of violence might happen again.

And even if I have experienced a loss of my son through an accident, I cannot fathom the pain they must be experiencing now.

I gathered from Amiel’s teacher that the parents appealed for prayers:

Humihingi kami ng mga dasal niyo para sa kaluluwa ni Amiel Alcantara. Siya ay nasa ikaapat na baitang at mag-aaral ng Mababang Paaralan ng Ateneo de manila. Kanina lamang, siya’y naipit ng dalawang kotse sa may dismissal/waiting area, oras ng kanilang uwian. Kinailangan pa siyang hugutin mula sa ibaba ng kotse upang maialis siya sa pagkaipit. Maraming dugo ang nakita sa pinangyarihan ng insidente. Naisugod pa siya sa ospital ngunit hindi rin nagtagal at siya’y pumanaw. Nawa’y ipagdasal niyo ang kanyang kaluluwa at ang kanyang pamilya. Pakipasa ang mensaheng ito sa iba. Maraming salamat po.

Let’s all pray for both families.

At the Wake of Amiel Alcantara at the Ateneo Grade School Chapel

At around 9:00 PM tonight, I dropped by the wake to give brochures of The Compassionate Friends to Pepe and Melanie Alcantara. I usually visit bereaved parents as part of my mission of the Compassionate Friends just so they know a grief support exists. First reactions of shock, numbness, denial and disbelief help to cushion these newly bereaved against the full impact of their loss. It is when this protection against the cruel reality of the death begins to wear off that they will begin to feel the full extent of our grief. That’s why I told them to look at it a few weeks or months after. Most of the newly bereaved contact us a month or two after.

I was privy to the police report and though I want to maintain the couple’s privacy, let me just tell you that the TV reports as shown by TV Patrol is not an accurate version. The acceleration of the van sounded like the sound of a racing car. It was that loud!

Classmates of Amiel Alcantara dressed in white polo paid their respects together with their parents. Some of them gave letters to the mom which seemed to comfort Melanie.

The Alcantara’s actually almost lost THREE children, and not just one if not for the timely action of their 65-year old Yaya Tata. Spotting Yaya Tata on the wheelchair, I noticed her two feet were bound by elastic bandage. I sat beside her and condoled with her. She had been Amiel’s yaya since birth and she must be grieving too. She didn’t speak much and stared most of the time at Amiel’s coffin. Yaya Tata told me that she is due for operation today.

It tore my heart as Jana, the 7 year old sister kept scuttling back and forth to Amiel’s coffin.

Good thing Cathy, a co-founder of The Compassionate Friends also dropped by together with her husband. She gave Amiel’s sister, Heaven’s Butterfly, a children’s book on grief.

Cathy has more updates:

Amiel, his 65-year old Yaya Tata (who has been with the family for 40 plus years), his 7 year old sister, and 13 year old brother Javi, together with the driver, were already so close to their car when the CRV driven by Teresa Torres, careened from behind and hit Amiel. Yaya Tata was able to push the youngest one and the elder boy out of the way but was too far to get to Amiel. Yaya Tata had herself suffered injuries and fractures and is set to have surgery next week. The most heart-wrenching thing about the whole thing is that it was the Alcantara’s driver and 13 year old Javi who had to extricate Amiel from beneath the van. The impact was so strong that three other vehicles were damaged in the process before the vehicle finally came to a stop. How does a 13 year old young boy cope with the image of seeing his younger brother that way?

It was the driver who took Amiel to the New Era hospital and they were en route to the hospital in another Ateneo parent’s car when Amiel died in his arms. Amiel’s father, Pepe Alcantara, former chair of the UP Student Council in the 1980s, and his mother, Niann, were no longer able to see their youngest son alive. It is a tragedy of such great proportions.

(It was actually a Toyota Hi-Ace van which Theresa Torres drove and hit the CRV)

News Video

QTV: Amiel’s family finds it hard to move on

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

QTV: Ateneo community mourns Amiel Alcantara’s death

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

Amiel Alcantara UPDATE (with statement from Alcantara family) From GMA News

Family Amiel, Ateneo accident victim, releases statement. Family Amiel, Ateneo accident victim, releases statement, February 26

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

Woman in Ateneo car accident charged with homicide, February 26

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

Witnesses recall Ateneo car accident, February 25

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

Ateneo pupil run over by car inside campus, February 25


Video from TV Patrol, February 25

This entry will be UPDATED regularly. See below

News and Related Blog Entries

Family of Ateneo accident victim mulls hold departure order vs suspect, GMA News, March 3

Outpouring of grief at cremation of Amiel Alcantara, GMA News , March 1

Ateneo pupil’s dad: I could not bear seeing the face of my son’s killer, GMA news, February 27

Suspect in Ateneo road accident may spend weekend in jail, GMA News, February 27

Ateneo stude’s dad meets suspect , Inquirer, February 27

STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF ATENEO DE MANILA GRADE SCHOOL STUDENT AMIEL ALCANTARA, February 26

Update on Losing Amiel Alcantara by Cathy, February 26

Ateneo student killed on campus by Inquirer. net, February 26

Pupil dies after being run over by van by Inquirer.net, February 25

Van Kills 10 year old boy inside Ateneo Campus by gmanews.tv, February 25

Grade 4 Ateneo student dies in car accident: report by ABS-CBN, February 25

Losing Amiel Alcantara – Ateneo Grade School Parking Lot Accident, February 25

how a cellphone contributed to the death of Amiel Alcantara, February 25

Amiel Alcantara, grade 4 student dies in a freak vehicular accident at the Ateneo : one view on what happened

The Wake

From Amiel’s teacher, wawam:

February 25, 2009
TO : THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY
Norberto Maria Luza Bautista, SJ
Headmaster

RE : DEMISE OF MASTER JULIAN CARLO MIGUEL (AMIEL) ALCANTARA
FR : NORBERTO MARIA LUZA BAUTISTA, SJ

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Master Julian Carlo Miguel (Amiel) C. Alcantara of 4-Manobo. Amiel died of head injuries due to a vehicular accident yesterday afternoon outside the AGS holding area.

His body lies in state at the Chapel of the Holy Guardian Angels, Ateneo de Manila Grade School.
Wake masses will be held at 7:30 PM from Wednesday, February 25, 2009 to Friday, February 27, 2009.

The remains of Amiel will be cremated at the Arlington Crematorium, Araneta Avenue, Quezon City at 2:00 PM on Saturday, February 28, 2009. There will be a mass at 11:00 AM at the AGS Chapel before the body is brought to Arlington for cremation.

64 thoughts on “Prayers for Julian Carlo Miguel (Amiel) Alcantara, Grade 4 Student who died from a Car Accident in the Ateneo Campus”

  1. Thank you Filipina Mom Blogger for providing the details of this news.

    You are the fastest and most available source of this info as of now.

    We appreciate your quick initiative.

    It’s just too early to look into this in a legal or technical manner.

    It’s a sad day for the whole Ateneo community.

      1. I am as well, Noemi. I was told it happened along the drop-off/pick up point in the Grade School. Our househelp who was waiting for one of my sons witnessed the accident. I am deeply saddened and affected by this tragic incident. I hugged and reminded my boys as soon as I received the news, to always say a prayer and request for God’s protection ALL THE TIME. You see, they just walk daily to and from AGS & AHS – they prefer to walk than to be driven to school because of the traffic along Katipunan and inside the campus. Our prayers continue for both the Alcantara and Torres families.

  2. This is really tragic. The fact that it happened inside the school makes it even more worrisome for parents. Based on what has been gathered from reports and co-parents, it was a freak accident. But that hardly reassures me.

    Our prayers go to the Alcantara family. They can take comfort in the thought that another angel has been added to Heaven’s legions.

    1. Theresa Torres is not the one experiencing pain on this family’s side. She also has a Grade 4 son. It is him who is experiencing tremendous amount of pain. Maybe because of embarrassment and guilt not because of him but because of what his mothe did. He has not been going to school the last few days. And it is him whom we should include in our prayers.

        1. Oh dear. How sad! I think the boy should not transfer. After all, his surname is different from his mother’s surname (she uses her maiden name). Teachers must just make sure that he is not taunted or bullied.

        2. The school and the family should consider all options. It’s usually the age (Grade 4) where bullying is quite common. I am not sure the teachers will be with the boy all the time.

        3. Would you know if until now the boy hasn’t gone back to school yet? It is already their exams. I hope he will still be able to take his exams so he can finish his grade level. But I think it would be better for him to transfer to another school next school year. Everyday that he goes to school he will just be reminded of the accident his mother caused. I hope Ateneo goes out of their way to provide him counselling too. I couldn’t imagine the pain he is going through right now — afraid to go to school, of possibly being bullied, of his mother going to prison. It breaks my heart to think that because of a parent’s irresponsible act a life was lost and her own children are suffering too.

  3. I feel sorry for the loss of Julian Carlo Miguel (Amiel) Alcantara, This kind of accident happened to me and my 7yr old Gjay. I know how it feels, believe me one needs to be emotionally strong to endure this kind of tragic event in their lives. God has his reasons. We ask questions why does this happen to a helpless innocent child, yet we know we cannot get an exact answer. Lets help the family by offering prayers for the soul of Amiel. I will ask my Angel Gjay to pray for him as well. God bless us all !!!!

    1. Oh yes, Peewee. Hugs. it is heartbreaking, and excruciating pain. How are you? Are you all back in the Philippines. I also prayed for your family as well as Gjay. That was just as tragic. haay. My hugs to you again.

  4. I’m a college student in Ateneo and I just heard the incident yesterday. I didn’t pay much attention though because my friend didn’t know much about it and about what actually happened. I just knew that an elementary student was killed.

    Thank you for an immediate post about the actual tragedy and about what really happened yesterday. However, I can’t still imagine how it really happened inside the school. I am deeply saddened about this. My earnest prayers for both families.

    1. I am sure as a member of the Ateneo community, you are all affected. Read updates 1, 2 and 3 above where witnesses think that the mother may have stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brake. There seems to be many versions but in the end, it seems it was a freak accident where the mom stepped on the gas.

  5. I just couldn’t find the word to express the pain Amiel’s parent is experiencing now.. sigh!.. I’ve lost my daughter last year as well.. and until now we are still in the process of healing.. and thanks to your advise noemi.. we learned how to go with the flow , and just take one progress at a time.. Will include them in our prayers so they will find peace and strength during this difficult time. 🙁

  6. I feel for both families. The Torres mom must also be so traumatized. How can she look at herself now? She might even pull her son out of Ateneo because he is surely affected by the tragic incident!

    My question is: why did the Torres mom ask her driver to pick up her son? Shouldn’t the mom (or yaya) pick up her own child while the driver stays inside the vehicle? It really sounds strange to me. I do not send my sons to Ateneo but from what I know, the parents in their schools pick up the kids themselves while the drivers stay in the driver’s seat, ready to move the vehicle if necessary. I never ask my own driver to go down and pick up my kids; I do it myself if I’m in the car. If not, the yaya does it, never the driver. What excuse can a mom have for not going down a vehicle to fetch her son when she has a driver in the first place? I hate to be judgmental, but I have a certain disdain for moms who are too lazy to greet their own children.

    1. I overheard some parents asking why the mom didn’t go down. We haven’t heard the side of this mom. She refused to make a statement maybe from the advice of her lawyer. But hopefully, we can hear her side so we can learn from her mistake.

    2. I am not mistaken it was a relatively hot that day, and the mom probably preferred to stay cozy inside her airconditioned van and asked her driver to go through the trouble of looking for and picking up her son instead. Just a guess.

  7. I am an ateneo working mom, and my kid is in prep level, almost the same dismissal that of Amiel. I am very scared now and worried all the time for the safety of my son. The yaya only accompanies him going to school, then his school bus will be the one to bring him home. Now I am worried sick, and thinking, whether I will have my yaya fetch him too just so he has someone focused on him. At that age, kids run all over the covered walk with classmates, friends. I let him play when i fetched him one time, and that area where Amiel died is usually one of the spots where a lot of kids pass by. This is already inside the campus… this is very tragic…

    1. when the kids were in Prep, I had the yaya accompany them inside the schoolbus. I paid extra for the yaya. A lot are really puzzled on how this accident happened inside a crowded parking lot. It’s such a freak accident.

      1. I can understand how we can get a feeling of security by having our children accompanied by a yaya, but as you can see from this case, Amiel had a yaya but that didn’t save him. His yaya saved his sister and his brother . . . Is the answer really for all the boys to have a yaya? Will this prevent a repeat situation?

        The answer has to do with separating the cars from the pedestrians. Loading and unloading has to be done from sidewalk to vehicle with no kids on the roadway in between vehicles whether side to side, or between bumpers. The boys are as young as 6 years old. The boys are too young to correctly assess how to protect themselves.

        Ateneo does not have a strict Loading/Unloading driveway in the Grade School. Airports, Hospitals, Malls all enforce a rule along their main entrances that vehicles are not allowed to park along the loading and unloading area. If you aren’t loading or unloading, you are asked to leave to free up the slot for the next vehicle.

        In Ateneo, the loading and unloading driveway becomes a parking area from 15 minutes prior to dismissal. The boys are denied access to their cars from the safety of a sidewalk because the first lane (and second . . . and third . . . lanes) is occupied by overstaying vehicles. The pick up walkway is one sidewalk to five lanes of vehicles — parked, double-parked, moving forward, backing up, loading and unloading kids.

        I drive my boys to and from school everyday precisely because I have always feared for their safety. My assessment of Ateneo’s Traffic Group and the temperament of the drivers on campus have made me conclude that until they are old enough to look after themselves, no one else’s safety standards matched my own.

        In 2003, a Grade 3 boy was hit by a vehicle as he was crossing from the walkway to his school bus. He broke his leg in the accident. Despite this, Ateneo did nothing to change its traffic scheme. In 2009, Amiel Alcantara loses his life in the Ateneo Grade School driveway. Is Ateneo any wiser after two accidents? Are they waiting for a situation where multiple lives are lost before they actually do something?

        Undeniably this was a freak accident, but what is to be lost if Ateneo takes a proactive stand to protect our children? If Amiel was not allowed to walk on the roadway, the car would have crashed into another — and no child would have been caught between them.

        Ateneo has to take its cue from this incident. Traffic management along that driveway is absolute chaos. If this present situation continues, it will just be a matter of time before another tragedy occurs.

        1. Thanks for sharing your insights. Though I don’t have younger kids at school now, I recall I accompanied by brother in the US, to pick up their kids at their school. His son was less than 10 years old. There is always a teacher that guides them to their car. Maybe Ateneo should have guides that help them load the kids in their vehicle. But then this may not be feasible considering that there are lots of kids in Ateneo.

        2. I hope that there will be changes in the Ateneo’s traffic rules after this tragic accident, but as it seems, nothing has been done thus far. Perhaps, if Ateneo will change its rules now, the school might be criticized for it would appear that something was indeed wrong with its previous traffic rules and conduct of safety measures.

          I also wish that Ateneo will have a proper formal investigation and will not delegate the matter to teachers or coordinators who may not have the qualification or expertise to conduct investigation. I had a bad experience on this with my own child who is also studying in Ateneo. I did not, however, pursue my case because I know that it will give me more heartaches and sleepless nights, coupled with the fact that I am far away from home.

          I have always desired for quality education for my children. My husband and I worked hard to pay for our children’s education. We earned our money the hard way, a product of our own sweat and tears. Of course, we expect a lot from the school, particularly, to be our real partners in protecting our children while they are in the school’s premises. I do not have doubts that this sentiment is shared by all parents.

    2. My Grade 4 son has been taking the school service ever since Prep. What I appreciate about it is that the vans are parked in prime parking slots, right beside the covered walkway. There is usually no need to cross the street or weave through cars on stand by. But it is best that we constantly remind the drivers to always be careful, as well as teach our sons where safe areas for walking or crossing the streets are. After this incident, I think everyone will be really careful.

      I share the grief of both families involved in this tragic incident. I hope the school will also counsel the student body not to make harsh judgments or insensitive comments most especially to the son of Ms. Torres. My thoughts are with him too.

    1. very shocking indeed. I heard it that night then decided to blog about it at 1:00 AM when I got hold of a news report from GMAnews.tv. However I updated the entry because at the time of posting, the details of the accident was quite sketchy. We still don’t have the side of the Mrs. Torres.

  8. Pingback: A Tragic Accident in Ateneo (An Update-Feb. 26) « Here’s to Life!

  9. if you are an ateneo parent, an ateneo alumni or you have been touched by the story of 10 year old Amiel and you wish to express your thoughts/feelings and/or you want to ask the ateneo school authorities to do something about the safety of school kids at the school, here is an email address that i found from the ateneo website that you can send your email to: [email protected]

  10. In a Jesuit school in Cebu where it gets really crowded (being in one of the busiest streets), the school authorities made sure to have barangay tanods directing the flow of traffic during drop-off and dismmisal. The tanods even helped bring the kids and their (heavy) bags to their cars.

    When my boys were younger, I was even amazed at how these tanods knew the kids by their names. It was such a relief that I just had to honk and the tanods would run to fetch the kids and bring them safely to our car.

    I’m not sure but I think these tanods were given remuneration for helping out. Perhaps the PTA of Ateneo Grade School could do something similar. 🙂

    Linnors last blog post..Absent

  11. First and foremost, it is the incontestable duty of motorists to observe basic traffic rules – to park in parking lots and to drive (and NOT to park/station) on driveways. This can be done even in the absence of traffic aides/security personnel/police patrols. Road discipline and courtesy save lives!

    1. This is one of the best comments I’ve read so far. It’s a good thing that somebody realizes that what happened cannot be blamed on the school but to irresponsible drivers and motorists.

      This should be a wake up call to all drivers to be extra cautious when driving inside a school vicinity.

      1. Hey, it takes two to tango. Ateneo had the the ball on its court eversince. Surely you are an atenean fanatic. How would you feel if it happened to you? Would you still stand by ateneo?

  12. Napanuod ko po ang video,,,at naaawa po ako sa bata,,,ipagpppray ko po xa,,,at nakikiramay po ako,,,kung asan man po si Amiel Alcantara maging happy ka kung nasaan ka man,,,hindi ka pababayaan ni Lord,,,maraming nagmamahal sayo dito,,,at wag mong alalahanin ang parents mo dahil aalagaan sya ng family mo,,,ipagppray ka namin at ang iyong family,,,=]

  13. i heard a different story from my friends in ateneo.

    amiel was actually sick that day and wasn’t supposed to go to school, but he went anyway because of a lot of tests or something of that sort.
    he actually got to his car, but decided to get sandwiches. when he was crossing the street, the sandwich fell so he bent down to pick it up. he suddenly stood up, and the driver or the car got surprised since she didn’t see him and instead of hitting the break, possibly due to the pressure accidentally hit the accelerator.

    what’s worse is that the driver is the mom of amiel’s classmate.

    i really feel bad for both families.
    it’s so sad to see such a young kid die such a tragic death.

    1. Why didn’t the mom see him when he bent down to pick up his food? That meant she wasn’t looking. Amiel was a grade 4 pupil, not a little Pomeranian puppy (even then, you would be able to see a Pom on the road if you were paying attention).

  14. just saw the news from “BANDILA” and i was saddened all of a sudden. I did’nt know amiel but just felt bad. we have the same name pa naman. condolence po. sorry for your loss.

  15. This is indeed sad. I feel for the Alcantara family. But I also try to imagine and put myself in the shoes of the mom driver who hit and killed the boy. I am not condoning her if she was indeed reckless in her driving. But I cannot imagine the guilt that could be eating her soul right now. I also pity her child who could be having difficulty reconciling the events. I pray for both families.

    1. It is a loss on both sides. I read in this news report
      http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20090227-191275/Ateneo-studes-dad-meets-suspect

      that Ms. Torres is not in her right frame of mind to be interviewed.

      Pepe Alcantara tried to talk to her but she didn’t say much.

      “I just wanted to see the face of the person who took away someone so precious,” he said.

      According to him, he was disappointed with the response he got from Ma. Theresa Torres, who has been detained at Camp Karingal since the accident.

      “Except for a shrug and ‘Wala akong magawa, aksidente yun eh (I couldn’t do anything, it was an accident)’, I did not hear anything more from the driver,” he narrated.

      It is the darkest hour for both families. I also hope Torres son receives some counselling and so with his classmates so they don’t taunt the boy. Everyone will need some counselling.

  16. I pick up my son at the AGS everyday and I’ve always had this nagging fear that an accident was waiting to happen. At dismissal time, security guards are busy directing traffic while cars (mostly vans and SUVs) reverse and maneuver every which way to get through, all this as kids and their fetchers weave through the traffic on the 5-lane driveway. There is one pedestrian crossing but I think it’s too narrow and misplaced.

    That said, there is obviously a need for the Ateneo to take concrete measures to avoid another mishap. However, these road safety measures won’t work if the members of the community (parents, drivers and fetchers) do not take responsibility for ensuring the safety of our children.

    The past few days since the tragedy last Tuesday, I observed that motorists in campus are more cautious and courteous to pedestrians. For how long? I wouldn’t know.

    I’ve seen more than my fair share of arrogant, rude and irresponsible drivers AND PARENTS who drive through the grade school premises without regard for others’ safety. For these people, please take what happened seriously. At the end of the day, we all just want to get our children home safely.

  17. I came from UP and not from Ateneo and I am a father as well but my son is not an ATENISTA but from Lourdes School of Mandaluyong. I write because what had happened to AMIEL was something that made me realizes a lot of things not just about the incident but about FATHERHOOD.

    The story focuses on AMIEL’s FATHER as well as a FATHER & SON school activity has been nearing. We as fathers may not at all be so showy and emotional to our sons because of being pre-occupied with our roles as providers and heads of our families but then this has made me re-think that our focus no matter what should always be with our kids – with our family.

    Each day counts. I often would kiss my son and tell him how I love him being the only child. I could just imagine how painful it is for AMIEL’s FATHER to have bid farewell to his son after breakfast as a normal daily routine without expecting that moment was their last. I cried while driving home.

    I must have heard the news late but I cannot stop thinking about it. Imagine a school so expensive where you expect that traffic enforcers are regulating the flow of vehicles because kids from known and from ordinary families are around the place which they have to protect, but then there is none.

    I have not heard in any of the news article about the school having its own ambulance or experienced in-house medics attending to the need of the child. It was the lady whom we all do not know who volunteered to help the child and the driver to take them to the hospital.

    Worse is that as mentioned, no one even wanted to open their doors for the driver who was walking and carrying the bloodied child for help. It is sad. Imagine how people can be heroes in the split of a second and how some chooses to be numb and careless. Why? Is it because they do not want to stain their nice car’s interiors? Too bad.

    I do not intend to blame or raise issues here. The point here is that all we all as parents are responsible for our kids. More so, as drivers, we too are responsible to ensure that we maintain safety and caution. Now, we can never revert things back. We need to move forward and learn from this. AMIEL’s life has a good purpose indeed and that is to awaken us all about safety, care, time and love for our kids.

    As I reached home, I asked for my son. He was playing hide and seek with me as usual. I search all the possible hiding places until I found him. I never asked him about his school works or about what news on BANDILA as he is fond of watching news. No words were said… I just hugged my son so tight and kissed him so many times as tears fall.

    I love my son and I would not want such thing to happen to him even when he is already old and on his own. Thus, as I write this, I am writing to the officials of Lourdes School of Mandaluyong as well to improve pedestrian safety and proper parking regulations and perhaps put PEDESTRIAN LANES and MARKINGS along SHAW BLVD. and in front of CITYLAND SHAW TOWER to ensure safety.

    Thank you AMIEL for waking us up. You will forever be remembered in our hearts.

    RYAN ERICSON CANLAS
    SAP Practice Manager – SAP COE
    International SAP BASIS Consultant
    [email protected]

    1. Amiel’s death teaches us so many things. That’s why schools should learn from this tragedy as you suggested. I hope they take steps to ensure the safety of their school children. You are also right there when schools should have a designated ambulance when accidents like this happen.

  18. When will we ever learn?

    As I drove my kids to school this morning, an SUV cut us from the outer arc lane on a curve into the diversion road from Barangka (so she gained a mere 1 vehicle length, after violating a basic traffic rule!), and just as we were about to turn right into gate 3, a van was stationed at the “sidewalk” to our right, yes parked on the “sidewalk”, that after unloading school kids, dared to gain the space in front of us available for our right turn. A long and loud honk did some good, but why? Inside the AGS inner driveway, a little order seemed to prevail, but wait till we had to keep our temper again seeing in front of us, near the Irwin theater, a vehicle stationed on the 3rd lane, yes, 3rd lane!, unloading a school kid.

    All this happening a few days after Amiel’s life was taken.

    Outside Ateneo, at the left-turn/u-turn slot from Katipunan to CP Garcia, a vehicle from the outermost arc lane, yes, outermost lane, cut me, together with a row of UP-bound vehicles, as it managed to steal a u-turn. And the driver even had the heart to animate a mouthful as the vehicles he cut honked on his discourtesy.

    Foreign friends are almost unanimous in joking about how driving in the Philippines, particularly in Manila, is a TALENT! Alas, it is just so shameful a talent.

    When will we ever learn? Amiel’s father, a colleague and org mate in college, must be crying the same.

    1. How frustrating that must be. I hope Ateneo addresses this. They have huge property which needs to be maximized for loading and unloading area. Unfortunately the grade school is just way too crowded.

  19. Hi Noemi,

    I just crawled out of a rock this morning and learned about this today. How devastating. Just last night as my nine-year old son and I was getting out of the car I told him to wait for me to open his door so I can guide him out and keep him away from moving traffic on our side. As I took his hand, he said, “Mom, I’m not five anymore.” I think I will open his door and guide him out forever after learning this.

    My heart goes out to little Amiel and his family. Just thinking about “what if it was my son” sends me in tears.

    I hope you continue to post more updates Noemi. I will surely follow it.

    Abbey

  20. Have you ever noticed Filipinos heed and more and have more respect to cars than people. They show concern and understanding for the value of a kotse, but people only become important again when they die like this. So many roads without sidewalks, so many pedestrian lanes that are unworkable, so many traffic cops that show no concern for pedestrians. Should the waiting area at Ateneo Grade School be safer for kids? With designated drop off and pick-up points?

    BrianBs last blog post..First-Gen iPod Nano Owners on $25 Settlement

    1. There is just no discipline. Pedestrians should have the right of way at the proper lane though. And Ateneo should really designate these drop and pick up points. The hard part is they just have so many kids. It is a nightmare in logistics but it needs to be done.

  21. As I have been following the news and this post, me and my family are joining hands and offering our prayers. It’s just tragic that it happened where safety should come first, thinking that the tuition fee is far higher where my grade school kids are studying.

    I hate to blame anyone here because I know no one really want this to happen. I am not even in the position that our school here is safer, but I am glad the barangay tanod here is so active to watch over students crossing by.

    Additionally, the public school where my children go is along a major street towards the expressway, and one side has a hump so vehicles can slow down which I think makes it safer.

    Yes, no one wants accidents to happen but we know it happens when we least expected. This is why we have to be a keen observer especially where our young kids are.

    I just hope all of us will learn a good lesson here, although it’s really sad that a life of a 10-year old boy be taken away just to teach us.

    Angel Cualas last blog post..Online Money Seekers – Beware of Work at Home Job Scams

  22. One of the best solutions to keep the pedestrians safe is designating a pedestrian lane or building a pedestian underpass or overpass for them. Here in the USA, drivers are required to stop if they see a pedestrian will cross the street. If there is a school bus that has a stop signal flashing, drivers are required to stop. This keeps the students safe while boarding or alighting a bus. The speed of the vehicle should be slow if they are inside schools, residential areas and areas with many people around. While driving a motor vehicle, refrain from using cellphones or other distractions. Focus yourself in driving because one wrong move might result to a tragic accident. My condolence to the Alcantara family. I pray that God will help them in this difficult time of their lives. I also pray for the Torres family that God will also help them face this problem.

  23. Words can’t express the sadness I felt for this accident. I could not imagine what excruciating pain Amiel went through when it happened and how his family will cope with his untimely death. I am praying for him and his family.

  24. I’m a mother of a grade 2 boy in ateneo and this june, my 6 year old son will join his brother in the same school. Our whole family, just like the rest of the Ateneo Community, is so affected by the tragic death of Amiel. I guess we all have become extra careful not just when bringing our children to and from school but in anywhere we go. WITH THE POPULATION OF THE ATENEO GRADE SCHOOL, it is impossible to just make do with what we already have if we are to consider the safety of the children. We need major major changes- more traffic enforcers, visible traffic signs, strict implementation of the rules, maybe a rerouting of traffic flow, we need drivers who have high regard to the rules being set by the school, and i think it’s also about time that the school reassesses the number of students they accept each year for each section. All these for the sake of the AGS children and the future that they hold being products of Ateneo.

  25. Pingback: My heart goes out to Amiel Alcantara «

  26. This was really sad! I am based here in the US and my nephew is in first year high school in Ateneo. Last January when i came home to visit,we went to his school fare and i couldn’t imagine how this tragic accident happened in this prestigious school. I immidiately called my sister and my nephew and spoke to his driver that take him to school everyday. My nephew’s driver hangout the whole day in school and waited for him till he gets off in the afternoon. We are over protective of my nephew and i’m sure the Alcantara family is too, but everything happen for a reason. No words cannot express good enough how Amiel’s family feel at this point of time, I know for sure that he is in better place, in God’s arms, a little angel. I am offering my prayers to Alcantara family and friends. May he rest in peace.

  27. Our sympathy to the family. Carlo will be in our prayers at the Memorial Rites this Sunday during the celebration of our 6th World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims & Survivors. Requesting all families of road crash victims and all survivors to please remember to pray and light candles. For those requesting for prayers, please post names including photo w/ brief description of the victim/s on this site https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150307571055643.554702.760695642&type=3 … God bless! – Project C.A.R.E.S., Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Philippines

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