Mother Learns of Daughter’s Death After Tragic NAIA Car Crash

A grieving mother is left heartbroken after learning that her only child, 4-year-old Malia Kates Yuchen Masongsong, died in a devastating car crash at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 Departure Area on May 4.

Cynthia Masongsong, who was injured in the same accident, had been kept in the dark about her daughter’s passing as she recovered in a hospital. But on Tuesday, her husband Danmark, an overseas Filipino worker who had just returned home, finally told her the tragic truth.

The child’s wake was held on May 5 in Lipa City. From there, Danmark traveled to St. Luke’s Medical Center in Manila, where Cynthia was being treated. Though she had already begun to suspect the worst, she still clung to hope.

“She was conscious in the ambulance and heard her husband calling out Malia’s name,” recalled Madoona Masongsong-Goh, Cynthia’s sister-in-law. “Even before she was told, she seemed to know. But she needed confirmation.”

For days, Cynthia repeatedly asked where Malia was, puzzled and worried by her absence. Danmark, hoping to spare her further pain during recovery, held back the heartbreaking news—until he couldn’t anymore.

Now in the recovery room, Cynthia is eager to be discharged and reunited with her daughter, whose remains lie in a Lipa City funeral home.

Meanwhile, the driver involved in the fatal crash is facing charges. In inquest proceedings held Monday, he was formally accused of reckless imprudence resulting in two counts of homicide, multiple physical injuries, and property damage.

As the Masongsong family grieves, they are also calling for accountability and justice for Malia’s untimely death.