Man dies Before seeing his 7-month-old daughter for the first time; he was one of those killed in the tragic Isabela road crash

Tabuk City, Kalinga – Emilio B. Vergara Jr., one of the nine casualties in the Isabela crash, was supposed to see his 7-month-old daughter in Kalinga for the first time when the tragic accident happened on Saturday.

Vergara was just less than two hours away from Kalinga’s Capital, Tabuk City when his journey was put to an end.

In Aurora, Isabela, two vans, a white and a silver, bound for Tabuk were to drop their passengers from Baguio City on July 19 when a six wheeler truck struck them.

Emilio was one of the passengers of the silver van that was hit head-on by the truck. He worked as a Chef aboard an international cruise ship. He was called to duty before his wife gave birth, according to a relative. Thus, he was yet to meet his daughter in person.

On July 19, 2025, Emilio was so close to seeing his 7-month-old child in Kalinga, but the much-awaited meeting of the father and daughter did not happen when the tragic incident happened along the national highway in Aurora, Isabela, which took the lives of Emilio and eight others.

Emilio’s remains now lie in Junction, Pinukpuk.

The Provincial Local Government Unit, headed by Governor James Edduba, meantime, conveyed their sympathies and condolences to the bereaved family, assuring them of support and assistance from the government.