Last January 12, a U.P. freshman went missing after he had gone to the campus in Diliman to enroll for the second semester of the school year.
In an earlier report, we discovered that Ian had texted his parents that he safely arrived on campus on the 12th of January but then he wasn't heard from again.
21 days later, Ian Jasper Calalang has found his way back home.
His aunt, Marissa, told theAsianparent that although Ian is home safe and sound, he is still shaken up and will need time to recover from the trauma.
It is unclear where Ian had been for the past three weeks but whatever happened allegedly left him with post-traumatic stress syndrome.
"In truth, we haven't really talked about what really transpired for his 21-day loss. Ian is still in a state of post-stress traumatic syndrome," said Marissa in a Facebook message. "And we don't want to rush things you know. He got skinny. Will give him time to rest first and bond with the family."
She also shared Ian's parents' official statement:
"Our son Ian Calalang returned home safely and physically unharmed last February 1, Monday, at 11 in the evening, after having gone missing since Jan 12, 8 AM, when we last communicated with him via text message.
Words cannot express how relieved we truly are to be reunited with him. For weeks we agonized over the situation, feeling helpless at times but never hopeless. And though we are mentally drained and emotionally exhausted—our lives severely affected—we now take great comfort in being able to see, talk, and hug Ian again. This is the single most important thing for us at this point.
As we slowly recover from the pain and suffering caused by this situation, we ask the media and the public to give Ian and our family the time and respect our privacy as we rebuild our lives together and reconnect with Ian.
To those who sent us comforting words and included us in your prayers, our family is deeply grateful. Thank you for helping us through it all. Maraming salamat po."
READ: UP Diliman student goes missing, family pleads for help
Each semester, thousands of students troop to the famed university grounds to endure the long lines that are sure to be awaiting them throughout the entire process of enrollment.
Because of this incident, many parents have urged the university's administration to beef up their security to ensure that this does not happen again.
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