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MANILA, Philippines — “We are not saving us anymore, we are saving other people.”
This is what Sarah Garovilla said while holding a photo of her late six-year-old daughter, Sandy, as she fought back tears.
Sandy’s life was painfully short, lasting fewer years than she could count on her fingers.
Born in 2017, her first two years were marked by health problems, forcing her parents, Edward and Sarah Garovilla, to take her in and out of the hospital constantly.
She had been diagnosed with global developmental delay. Edward said that at four years old, Sandy had the mind and body of a two-year-old. Despite her health condition, she was a bubbly child, Sarah recounted.
During those years, Sarah and Edward fought hard to keep Sandy alive so that they could still be together for a long time.
“God had a different plan for her,” Sarah said.
What was supposed to be a joyful family vacation for Edward and Sarah turned into a nightmare.
To celebrate Sarah’s birthday, the Garovilla family, along with other relatives, traveled to Puerto Princesa, Palawan, on Oct. 30, 2023. They stayed at a resort named Ausan Resort.
During a Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality hearing on Thursday, March 6, Edward recounted that fateful day.
He told the story through photos on his phone. The initial pictures captured a happy family swimming at the beach—Sandy could be seen joyfully playing with her sister and cousins. She was named Sandy because of their love for the beach. Her father called it her element.
The last photo on Edward’s phone was of Sandy’s ashes in a plastic bag, awaiting placement in an urn.
What happened
The family was enjoying a swim at the beach when Edward heard Sandy scream. He rushed to his daughter and saw her eyes rolling to the back of her head. Her body bore marks from tentacles—signs that she had been stung by a jellyfish.
Panicked, her family rushed her to the resort’s reception area, pleading for help. However, the staff was unable to provide medical assistance or first aid.
The nearest hospital was 45 minutes away but Edward was afraid to move Sandy because of her health problems. A French medical student approached to help the family by performing CPR. There was also a midwife who offered to give oxygen to the child. Finally, a US national who identified himself as an army medic stepped in to help.
He said Sandy needed epinephrine, but none was available. Neither the resort nor the nearby drugstore had the medication. With no other option, they decided to rush Sandy to the hospital. As they made their way to Roxas Medical Hospital, Edward, Sarah and the US national took turns performing CPR.
Along the way, they stopped at a small hospital, but the facility was not equipped to treat her.
The family arrived at the larger hospital at around 4:30 p.m. but it was too late.
“Sandy was declared DOA (dead on arrival) and the cause of death was severe anaphylactic shock,” Edward said.
At six years old, Sandy was gone.
Her family had to make funeral arrangements for her that very night. They wanted to bring her home as soon as they could since they no longer want to stay in Palawan.
The fastest way was to cremate her already, the mortician told the family.
“We don’t want that to happen to another family, to anyone,” Edward said.
More than a year since their daughter’s passing, Edward and Sarah want to make sure that no other child will experience the same fate.
The proposed law
Senate Bill 2971, officially titled “An Act Preventing, Mitigating, and Responding to Risks Affecting Children While on Vacation, Engaging in Leisure, or Participating in Any Other Activities Related to the Tourism Industry,” is more simply known as “Sandy’s Act.”
Authored by panel chair Sen. Risa Hontiveros, the bill aims to enhance the safety of children participating in tourism-related activities.
Sandy’s incident is far from an isolated case. Another girl named Kiera Maningding was also stung by a jellyfish while swimming in Subic in 2024. Her mother, Jahaziel Maningding, wrote to the committee expressing her support for the proposed law.
“My daughter’s passing was not an incident, it was a result of negligence. The resort was fully aware of the dangers posed by jellyfish, yet they failed to take action,” Maningding said in her letter, as read by Sarah.
Hontiveros also cited data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, stating that children accounted for one-third of accidental drowning deaths in 2021, totaling 1,056 cases.
If passed, the measure would mandate entities operating tourism-related facilities such as hotels, resorts and more to have access to medical services and first aid.
Establishments must also have an adequate number of trained lifeguards on duty.
The bill would also mandate local government units to ensure that tourist establishments will comply with the said law before they renew their permits.
