Politics · Philippines Bureau
Missing husband leaves family in limbo after nine years
A flower vendor in Misamis Oriental has spent nearly a decade supporting her family while searching for her husband, who disappeared during armed conflict. Evelyn Powao's refusal to light a memorial candle reflects her determination that her husband's case remains unresolved.
LSN Philippines ·
MANTICAO, MISAMIS ORIENTAL — For nine years, Evelyn Powao has sold flowers outside cemeteries to keep her family afloat, yet she has never visited a grave nor lit a candle for the person she misses most. Her husband, Joseph, a construction worker, vanished during the five-month conflict between government forces and armed groups that engulfed the region in the early 2010s.
Powao's daily work at cemetery gates serves as a stark reminder of her family's incomplete story. While others find closure through funeral rites and memorial practices, she continues in a state of uncertainty—unable to grieve fully without answers about Joseph's fate.
The family's struggle reflects broader concerns about persons missing during the armed conflict in Mindanao. Hundreds of individuals disappeared during the violence, leaving relatives to navigate both financial hardship and emotional trauma without resolution.
Powao's refusal to perform traditional memorial rituals underscores a mother's unwillingness to accept permanent loss. For her, lighting a candle would constitute a final farewell to someone whose whereabouts and condition remain unknown.