Homelessness fails to dim Sendong victims’ New Year optimism

By Virgil B. Lopez
Monday, January 2, 2012
CAGAYAN DE ORO—Despite a massive flashflood that washed away their house, John Lloyd Damalan, a six-year-old first grader, is raring to go back to school.
Classes in public elementary and secondary schools are set to resume on January 3 even as some schools are being used as evacuation centers for nearly 40,000 people who survived the deadly onslaught of Tropical Storm Sendong (international name: Washi) in mid-December.
Enrolled at the West City Central School in Carmen village, Damalan told Sun.Star that he was unsure if his mentors can still teach them well in the next few days because some rooms are occupied by evacuees.
Still, the lanky boy said the resumption of classes would help the affected students like him to move on from the tragedy and return to normal lives.
“I’m anxious if my other classmates are also affected by the flooding. Good for us we were able to escape the rampaging waters but I don’t know with my other classmates. I want to talk to them,” Damalan, whose family is sharing relief packs and other amenities with some 9,400 people at the City Central School, said.
Damalan is just one of the urban poor residents of Isla de Oro, where some 1,000 houses were destroyed by the mammoth flood, triggered by a swelled Cagayan de Oro River on December 16.
That he survived, for him, is a miracle in itself, a belief shared by his neighbor Ralph Demdim.
Demdim said the floodwaters had gone chest-deep, which prompted his family and neighbors to run to the nearest village hall and seek help. They were then escorted by village officials to City Central for their temporary shelter.
Like Damalan, Demdim was thankful that his three siblings and parents were able to survive the tragedy as he gets himself ready for a long exam in Math after the two-week holiday break.
Unfortunately, the first grader said he can longer review for the test since his notes and textbooks were carted away by the flood, together with his family’s belongings.
But that hardly matters for Demdim since he is excited to welcome the New Year.
“We don’t have food to prepare though,” he said, adding that he is looking forward to a nice fireworks display to cap the celebration.
Like Demdin, Mercedita Hino is keeping a positive attitude to cope with reality.
Her family also failed to save any possessions after they raced against time to run away from the rising floodwaters.
Hino, now 44 years old and a wife of a market vendor, said she never expected the floodwaters to rush into their home.
Good thing that Cookie, her dog, kept on barking while they were watching television, only to find out later that the water was already rising at a fast pace.
Hino, together with her husband and four children, first went to a local radio station for help. Radio staff likewise brought them to City Central.
So far, evacuees have not been complaining of scarcity of food and water supply. There is enough relief goods for everyone, Hino said, as she asked for a permanent relocation site from the government for them to start anew.
Upon the instructions of President Benigno Aquino III, soldiers have disallowed residents of Isla de Oro and those living near the riverbanks from returning to rebuild their homes, mostly made of wood and metal roofing sheets.
These houses offered no resistance to heavy flooding, as seen from the recent disaster that killed over 800 people in this bustling city.
A nine-hectare lot in Calaanan, Canitoan village is reportedly being developed as relocation site for the storm victims but the news has yet to reach Hino and other evacuees.
“We’re still waiting for the city government to talk to us and shed light on questions with regard to our transfer,” she said.
Aside from a new house and cash assistance, Hino said her wish for 2012 is good health
for her family and that the disaster which came during the yuletide season would never be repeated. (Sunnex) http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2011/12/31/homelessness-fails-dim-sendong-victims-new-year-optimism-198290

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Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023
0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

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Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 ask for Rea or Chay

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