35 YEARS AFTER THE KILLER QUAKE: Woman searching for couple who showed kindness to her and her sister during July 16 Luzon Earthquake

Baguio City, Philippines - More than three decades have passed since the July 16, 1990 Luzon Earthquake, but for one woman, the memory of a young couple who showed her kindness amid the devastation remains vivid and unforgotten.

That woman is Rose Oluas, who was just 11 years old at the time.

Just recently, Rose shared a story on social media recounting the terrifying events that happened during the earthquake. She recalled that despite the horror, she still remembers an unknown couple who offered her and her younger sibling shelter and comfort.

How Rose escaped the Killer Quake

Rose took her 3-year-old sister skating at Camp John Hay that day. At around 4:00 p.m., as they stepped away from the rink, the ground began to shake violently.

Buildings trembled, people cried and screamed, and panic erupted.

Despite her young age, Rose led her sister to the middle of the road just as crowds spilled out of buildings behind them. Then, a white van eventually picked them up, bringing them down to Session Road, where the impact of the quake was most visible.

It was raining that time. People were injured, crying, and confused. Abandoned bags and shoes littered the street.

“ … In the chaos, I instinctively led my sister to the middle of the road. Screams erupted from the skating rink behind us as people ran out, running toward the same road, seeking safety. I remember a white van picked up many of us, bringing us down to Session Road. We were dropped off at the rotunda, disoriented but alive. I began flagging down every jeepney and taxi I could see, pleading with drivers to take us to Quezon Hill. It was raining. The sky mourned with us. People were crying, screaming... Bags and shoes lay abandoned on the street—remnants of panic. I don’t remember crying. I guess logic took over. I just knew I had to protect my sister,” Rose wrote.

Rose tried everything she could just to be able to return to their home to Quezon Hill. Amid the fear and rain, a young couple, possibly in their late teens or early twenties, approached them not with questions but with an umbrella and open arms.

“But what I remember very clearly was a young couple, maybe in their late teens or early twenties, offered us shelter under their umbrella. They even helped carry my very heavy baby sister until our mom arrived at around 7pm, whom I immediately rushed to upon seeing, while I left my sister with them. I don’t remember their faces, but I will never forget their kindness and generosity,” she recounted.

Rose, now an adult, has long carried that moment in her heart. Last July 16, she decided it was time to try find the couple who created an impact in her life and trust in humanity.

A photo attached with her story shows a young Rose with her baby sister, taken sometime after the quake. Rose's post has since been shared widely, with hopes that someone might remember or that the couple themselves might see it.

"If you’ve ever heard someone mention helping an 11-year-old girl and her chubby little sister in the chaos of Session Road that day, it was probably us. It’s been 35 years, but not a single year has passed without me thinking of that couple. I still pray I’ll find them, to at least properly thank them. And if this story is familiar to you, maybe you're the one I've been looking for. Wherever you are, please know: I never forgot…” Rose concluded.

Have any leads? You can reach out Rose through her Facebook account (Rose Oluas), or view her original post and photo here https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C7Us2zKCh/.