Sept.

5,2009
Motorcab Driver Falls From Coco Tree
By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-A motorcab driver who climbed a coconut tree on his
lot one Monday morning has fallen when both sides of the notch (hakhak in Cebuano)
gave way to his feet’s hold.
The victim was identified As Danilo Rojas Ramos, 57 years old, a resident of
brgy Isagani (Pugaling).
In an interview with his wife, Leticia Garde-Ramos, 54 year old, a Barangay
Councilor in her place, she disclosed that her husband has decided to harvest
matured coconut fruits together with 2 other hired coconut climbers (manakaay’g
lubi in the Cebuano language).
The victim’s wife said that about an hour later her husband had fallen after
harvesting some coco fruits from 10 coconut trees.
As narrated by the victim to his wife, she said that when he started to climb
down, the notch (hakhak in Cebuano) on his right side broke up as he positioned
his right foot for a hold. When he placed his left foot upon the left side notch,
it also broke up and he tightly hugged the coco’s trunk to prevent him from an
abrupt fall.
However, my husband could no longer sustain the degree of strength he employed
to prevent himself from falling below, she said. Still he tried to hold on the
trunk, but gradually slid because he could no longer counter his body weight with
his weakening strength, she said.
Inevitably he turned around the trunk’s curvature for re-positioning to balance
his body weight as long as he could, she said, to avoid a sudden fall.
Neverthelss, the efforts he applied to try to save himself from a fall, she
said, could not equalize with the force of gravity that overwhelmingly pulled him
down.
The victim finally fell from a coco tree from an estimated height of about 12
feet of 20 feet high. His body suddenly turned into a swollen figure as he hit the
ground, she said,. She said she called the emergency ambulance of the Fire
Protection Bureau which responded immedaitely.He was rushed to the provincial
hospital for treatment.
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Elpidio Sibud, who was the victim’s attending physician,
conducted the victim’s physical examination. He was x-rayed from the head, spinal
column and both his arms and the legs.
Luckily ex-ray results have shown that his spinal column and both legs were
intact. Except for his left arm which sustained bone fractures. His wife said her
husband used his left arm to protect his head as he fell below with a thud.
Sibud explained to the patient and his wife that the swelling of his whole body
was the outcome of the fall’s impact. The physician had administered injectable
antibiotics and pain reliever, according to the victim’s wife.
She said she filed a leave to attend to her husband’s needs at the hospital.
She said it took exactly 14 days from the start of the victim’s confinement
before he was operated on his fractured left arm. Since it was only at this period
that the body swell has subsided after the daily administration of injectable
vials and pain reliever.
Leticia said she did not know how many months the stainless steel would be
taken out because the doctor did not yet tell them when.
Asked further why her husband has to drive motorcab for a living when they have
some coconut plantations, she explained the income from copra sales is not enough
for the family of 5 members.
He disclosed that the victim has had driven motorcab that was plying passengers
from the Maasin complex up to brgy. Ibarra or brgy. Ichon, Macrohon or vice versa
for more than 20 years now as their means of livelihood.(Quirico M. Gorpido,.Jr.)