Little Boy Lost: Family reunited by the power of social media and DNA technology

Philip Farinas was just like any other young boy in his town. Living happily with a loving family, lots of brothers and sisters to play with, life was simple and happy. In 1990, on a day just like any other, Philip left his house to play with the neighborhood children, as he had done many times before.

This would be the last time he would see his family for over two decades. Philip Farinas’ family searched endlessly for their youngest son and brother, constantly wondering if he was safe if he had been kidnapped if he missed them or even remembered them.

Philip was found by Idel Dagami, who took him into his care for four years. Although he was welcomed as a part of the Dagami family, the strains of a household that already had twelve children to care for became too much, so Philip was adopted by the Dagami’s neighbor, Ruth, who (brought him in the province to her sister Evelyn’s home.  Evelyn loved and cared for the young boy.  Over the years, Philip grew up and moved on, but he never forgot his family. Did they think about him? Did they try to look for him?

The story of Philip’s disappearance and his family’s anguish became well publicized through television, and with the advent of social media outlets like Facebook. It was here that his family would post a picture of him each year on his birthday, telling his story in the hope that someone would recognize or remember seeing him.

The Farinas family thought that their prayers had been answered, when one day, a man they met and became friends with made them think that he was their missing brother.  They were able to persuade this man to undertake a Siblings DNA Test, provided by EasyDNA Philippines, with one of the Farinas siblings.

This test, as the name suggests, provides alleged siblings with an accurate result indicating if a sibling relationship exists or not. The test can be used for siblings who believe they share either one or both parents. In this case, the man was not a successful match, and the Farinas family continued hoping that one day their beloved Philip would return to them. Then again, through the power of social media, twenty-six years after he went out to play, another person came forward to claim that they knew where Philip Farinas was. A film crew accompanied some of his family members to Davao City, where a man with a story very much the same as Philip’s family was discovered. He relayed how he went out to play with his friends, but forgot the way home, and was taken in by a kind man with a big family.

Elated that they had finally found their sibling, the Farinas family celebrated. Family members who had moved overseas returned to see the little boy who they had searched for, all grown up, and with a young family of his own.

To confirm that the man was indeed Philip Farinas, he agreed to a Siblings DNA test. Even though they were faced once again with uncertainty, the family embraced their new found ‘brother’, and welcomed him back to the family.

After a harrowing wait for the results of the Siblings DNA test, it was confirmed what they already knew in their hearts, that this man was their long searched for brother, Philip. With a 99.99% compatibility match, Philip was a full sibling and continues to make up for lost time with his brothers and sisters. EasyDNA Philippines will handle all of your DNA samples with the utmost care and privacy, and you will receive your results in a prompt timeframe. Answer your sibling relationship questions today, with EasyDNA!