Unsolved Mysteries: The Disappearance of Young Girls in Our Community

Last night (February 1, 2023) it was 9 in the evening when my friends Jiji, Denny, and Demotry were catching up in the Love Radio channel of the HivePH discord. Jiji was presenting her "Marites" (gossip) and I asked what her plans were for the upcoming Valentine's Day. The conversation was interrupted when someone called me. I asked permission to leave the channel and attend the call. It was my uncle, who asked if I had any plans for the next day. He said he had errands to run and needed me to watch the gas station for a while so that the business wouldn't stop."

I agreed, and he promised to be back before my night class, which starts at 5 PM and ends at 7:30 in the evening. The first thing that caught my attention was a poster of a girl who was missing. I immediately asked what had happened. The address given on the poster was the same as my uncle's. He said he didn't know the real story, but she had been missing for a few days, so someone might recognize her if they had seen her somewhere with the use of poster pasted onto the wall.

This wasn't the first case. During the second week of January, another 18-year-old girl went missing. Through the help of Facebook, people including my family members shared the post, but she still hasn't been found. Then, three days after the family's post, another teenager went missing. She was just supposed to go to university and never came back the next day.

However, the family of the second girl posted a few days later that they had found her, but she was still traumatized. No further information was shared. So, people in my area thought that it was nothing, perhaps the first girl had run away with her boyfriend. Then, this next story emerged, another person was nowhere to be found.

Teenagers were going missing, and there was no safe place anywhere. Some people were alarmed about what was happening, while others had no idea what to believe. All the missing individuals were young ladies, and I hope that what I fear is not actually happening.

When I was young, I had two sisters. They were restricted to be home before dusk and had to come home right after school by 6 PM. Then, there was an issue with the "white van" that would attract children with candy, and once the child got the reward, they would be abducted right away inside the van.

I believe that I used to think when I was still very young, that people would be kidnapped and forced to beg on the streets or even be sold. I was very cautious about everything, especially white vans, because of what I had seen in movies and on television at that time. The things I imagined were the worst.

Just like me as a child and teenager, who was afraid of stories and news about child abductions, imagine how much more afraid the family members of the real victims must be, wondering what has happened to their child and worrying about their safety.

I had a female friend who candidly told me that she wished she had been born a boy. I was curious about her reasoning, and she explained that because of the things that were happening to young girls, she wished she were a boy like me who could easily fight if something bad happened intentionally. I somewhat understand her thoughts, as at that time, many girls were being abducted by white vans by that time so fear is natural in there eyes.

I can understand why a father might be overprotective of their daughters, considering the fear and concern for their safety. It's important to prioritize the well-being of loved ones and protect them from harm. I envision myself in a similar position in the future.

I wrote this blog also to remind our teenage friends here, those who have daughters or know someone who does, to educate them on the dos and don'ts when encountering strangers, as we never know who they really are. The recent events are alarming and require caution. Let's always be careful and vigilant in all that we do, especially for the sake of our family, friends, and daughters. Thank you for reading.