It was a rainy Friday night in Barangay Pinagpala. With the flood outside and no school, ten-year-old Buboy was alone in his room.

His hobby? An old military-grade walkie-talkie that his father bought at a surplus shop in Quiapo. Buboy likes to play “Secret Agent” and scan frequencies—sometimes he can hear the conversations of truck drivers, sometimes the security guards on the other side.

“Eagle One to Eagle Two, over. I’m going to eat, over,” Buboy whispered into the radio, even though he wasn’t talking to anyone.

Suddenly the sound of the radio changed. From clear static, it became a grating sound.

Krrzzzt… Help… Krrzzzt… I’m thirsty…

Buboy was stunned. He tightened his grip on the radio. He brought it closer to his ear.

“Hello? Who’s this? Over,” Buboy replied.

No one answered immediately. All he could hear in the background on the other line was the sound of rain and wind. He thought it was gone, but suddenly the voice spoke again. Faint. Trembling. An old man’s voice.

…I’m under… the weight… Seven… Demolition…

Buboy was terrified. He ran out of the room to the living room where his Sister Gemma and Brother Ren-ren were watching TV.

“Sister! Brother!” Buboy shouted. “I hear something on the walkie-talkie! Someone is asking for help! He said he’s under!”

The siblings just laughed.

“Hey, Buboy,” sneered Sister Gemma. “Are you playing Ghost Hunting again? Didn’t I tell you not to watch horror on YouTube? You’re just imagining it.”

“Yes, of course,” added Brother Ren-ren. “Maybe it’s just a prank by the hangouts. Go to sleep.”

But Buboy couldn’t stay quiet. He went back to the room. He got paper and pencil. He waited for the voice again.

…Rock… The darkness… Help me…

“Where are you? Over!” Buboy shouted.

…Old Grand… Hotel… Siete…

Buboy wrote down the keywords: OLD GRAND. SIETE. DEMOLITION.

Buboy knew “Siete”. This was the name of Barangay 7 in the other district. And he heard on the news that an old hotel there—the Old Grand Hotel—was going to be demolished.

Buboy didn’t hesitate. Even though it was raining, he put on a raincoat. He escaped through the window because his siblings didn’t want to believe him. He ran to the nearest Police Community Precinct (PCP).

When he arrived, he was soaked and panting. He caught up with PO2 Mendoza who was having coffee.

“Sir! Sir! Someone has been trapped!” Buboy shouted, showing the walkie-talkie. “I heard it on the radio! It’s at the Old Grand Hotel in Barangay Siete! The voice is grandma!”

At first, the police were skeptical. He was just a kid with a toy. But when PO2 Mendoza saw Buboy’s list and the frequency set on the radio, he was convinced. That frequency was old, used by amateur radio enthusiasts.

“Okay, let’s go. Nothing will be lost,” said PO2 Mendoza.

They got into the patrol car. When they arrived in Barangay 7, they saw the Old Grand Hotel. It was half destroyed. The area was full of debris, steel, and cement. The area was dangerous because the ground was soft due to the rain.

Page: SAY – Story Around You | Original story.

“Hello! Is there anyone there?!” the police shouted through a megaphone.

No one answered.

“Maybe you made a mistake, son,” a policeman said to Buboy. “There’s no one here. This is abandoned.”

But Buboy was determined. He took out his walkie-talkie again.

“Grandma! We’re here! Answer me! Over!” Buboy shouted into the radio.

A few seconds of silence. Everyone was listening to the child’s small radio speaker.

Krrzzzt… I hear… wang-wang…

The policemen’s eyes widened. It was positive! He was under there! The victim heard the patrol car’s siren!

PO2 Mendoza immediately called the Rescue Team and the fire department. The Search and Retrieval Operation began. They used thermal scanners and K9 dogs.

The dog pointed to a collapsed wall at the back of the building. There, under layers of corrugated iron and hollow blocks, there was a small hole.

“Here! Dig here!” the Rescue Chief ordered.

The digging took three hours. They carefully removed the rocks. And finally, they saw a hand.

They pulled out an old woman, Lola Remedios, 75 years old. She was weak, dehydrated, and had a broken leg, but she was alive. She was hugging a very old Portable Ham Radio.

Lola Remedios was immediately rushed to the hospital. She was safe.

Lola Remedios’ family arrived at the hospital, crying with joy. They told her that Lola Remedios was a former Radio Operator in her youth. She had Alzheimer’s Disease and had run away from home three days ago. She ended up in an abandoned hotel to take shelter from the rain, but the wall collapsed and she was trapped.

The only thing she had with her was her vintage radio that she always hung around her neck. For three days, she repeatedly called the emergency frequency, but because the technology was old, no one could hear her.

Except for Buboy.

“How did you get that?” asked a Radio Engineer who interviewed Buboy the next day. “Grandma’s radio is VHF Low Band, your toy is UHF. It’s impossible to get through to them.”

Buboy just shrugged. “I just heard him. Papa said, if you want to help, the Lord will make a way for you to hear.”

Buboy became a hero in his community. His sister and brother who laughed at him were both embarrassed and very proud. Buboy was given a Scholarship and a new set of Professional Walkie-Talkies from the Philippine Amateur Radio Association.

In the end, it was proven that you don’t need high-tech gadgets to be a hero. Sometimes, all it takes is a child who is willing to listen to voices that others ignore, and has the courage to believe amidst the noise and static of the world.