Philippines Building Collapse: Families Await Answers Amid Search Efforts

In Angeles, Philippines, Lea Casilao usually began each day with a text to her husband, Joselito, saying “Good morning.” He would reply with “Good morning, love.” On a recent Sunday, no reply came. Casilao recalled messaging him until Saturday night, as he stayed at the workers’ barracks. She feared he was among those trapped when a construction site building collapsed in Angeles, north of Manila, at dawn on Sunday.

Authorities ended search and rescue efforts on Monday evening, using life-locating equipment to find no signs of life under the debris. On Tuesday, the priority shifted to recovering victims. “My hope of still finding him alive has collapsed,” Casilao expressed, struggling to hold back her emotions.

The building fell at dawn on Sunday, trapping many. Casilao was to meet her husband at the site that afternoon. Unable to reach him, she found the collapsed structure with twisted concrete and metal upon arrival. “I kept calling his number, but nothing,” said Casilao, 47, sitting in a tent near the road as debris was cleared.

“We sympathize with what you are going through. Rest assured, we did everything we could to save lives, and now we have to move forward,” stated Maria Leah Sajili, the regional Bureau of Fire Protection’s information officer.

The collapse claimed at least four lives, including a Malaysian national recovered from an adjacent hotel building. Sixteen others, mostly construction workers, remain missing. Among the deceased was the father of Evelyn Alicaway, 19, who learned of his passing through an uncle and confirmed through a social media video.

“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 tearfully at his funeral.

An investigation into the building’s collapse is underway, focusing on whether it violated construction permit terms. Only nine stories were approved, yet a swimming pool being constructed on the 10th floor was discovered. The Philippine labor agency had halted work in September 2025 for safety violations but lifted the order a month later after compliance with regulations.

Rosenda Alicaway, Evelyn’s mother, appealed for accountability, “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.”