Yolanda blurs social classes victims scamper to different shores to survive

CEBU, Philippines - If there was one thing proven by the recent calamities that struck the Visayas, it is that when nature unleashes its wrath, everyone is in a level playing field – there is no distinction between rich and poor.

The Department of  Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said a number of those who fled Tacloban City are not exactly poor, but when the super typhoon destroyed their homes, they were left with no choice but to ask help from government and to seek refuge elsewhere.

“Duna gani tag-iya og mga bus sa Tacloban nga miapil na lang ‘sab sa mga evacuees ug milinya pagpangayo’g makaon kay kun duna sila’y kwarta wala man g’yud dayo’y mapalitan og pagkaon ug guba ‘sab ang ilang balay (An owner of a fleet of buses in Tacloban fell in line just to get food because even if they had money, there was nowhere and nothing to spend it on. The victim’s house was also destroyed),” said Ester Concha, head of the Department of Social Services (DSWS) in Cebu City.

At least a thousand families have evacuated to Cebu aboard the C-130 plane of the Philippine Air Force or vessels of the Philippine Navy, but Concha said only those with no relatives here are housed at the evacuation centers in Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, and Cebu City.

DSWD information officer Kerwin Macopia said only those that arrive from Tacloban City on board the C-130 planes and Navy vessels will be accepted at government evacuation centers.

Each time a group of evacuees arrives in Cebu, official vehicles would fetch them from either the Mactan Air Base or the Navy headquarters in Lapu-Lapu City to bring them to the evacuation centers. Those with relatives here would either ask to be brought somewhere they would be fetched or proceed straight to their families.

Concha said that aside from the sports complex in Barangay Tinago, the city also designated the complexes in Barangay Guadalupe, Cogon-Ramos, San Roque, San Nicolas and the Capitol Parish Multi-Purpose Center as additional evacuation centers.

In Lapu-Lapu City, the Gun-ob National High School; Barangay Looc Gym; Barangay Babag sports complex and Barangay Suba Bas-bas gym serve as evacuation centers while in Mandaue City, evacuees are housed at the gym in Barangay Banilad.

Aside from the fact that they have lost their homes, many of the evacuees were forced to leave Tacloban City because of lack of food and water and because of the foul odor that have permeated the city emanating from the dead bodies of both humans and animals. The storm surge that followed after Yolanda made landfall in Eastern Visayas claimed many lives and devastated properties even those a kilometer away from the coast. 

“Dili maantus nga gawas nga walay kapuy-an, walay makaon ug mainum didto, walay kuryente ug dili ka makontak sa imong mga paryente (It was unbearable. Aside from having no place to stay in, there’s no food, water and electricity there. We could not contact our relatives),” one of the survivors at the Guadalupe Sports Complex said.

As of yesterday afternoon, government said 5,235 have perished from the storm; 1,613 remain missing; 23,501 were hurt, while 4.2M were displaced.

As of last November 22, Macopia said a total of 334 families or 1,462 individuals have been attended to at various evacuation centers in Cebu City; 161 families or 726 individuals are in Lapu-Lapu City; and 15 families or 34 individuals are in Mandaue City.

Macopia said DSWS also assisted those who have left the evacuation centers after getting in touch with relatives in other places.

“Kadtong mibiya na sa evacuation centers dinhi sa Cebu kay duna man kuno sila’y mga paryente sa Manila amo sila nga gitabangan og mi-arrange mi og C-130 plane para ilang kasakyan (Those who left the evacuation centers to go to relatives in other places such as in Manila were given travel assistance. We arranged for a C-130 to bring them to their destination),” Macopia said.

Unfortunate as it may seem, Concha said there are also evacuees who could only stay with their relatives for a very short time.

“Dunay usa ka pamilya nga walo sila kabuok, miangkon g’yud ang iyang anak nga anaa nagpuyo sa Talisay nga dili siya makapakaon kanilang tanan kay pag-drive ra man og trisikad ang iyang trabaho. Luoy gyud kaayo (A man who lives in Talisay had to tell his family of eight that they could not stay with him very long because he could not afford to feed them all, considering he is only getting income from driving a tricycle. Such a pity),” Concha said.

Because the family once again sought help from government, Concha said they decided to provide them with three kilos of rice and canned goods everyday for a week.

Still, others weren’t as lucky like the 70-year-old man and his grandson who were refused help by their relatives.

“Nananghid ang tiguwang nga mobiya na sa evacuation center kay adto na lang kuno siya mopuyo sa balay sa iyang paryente sa Guadalupe apan pag-abot didto wala siya dawata mao nga mibalik na lang tawon sa evacuation center ang tiguwang nga naghilak (The old man asked to leave the evacuation center so he could stay with his relatives in Guadalupe, but when he and his grandson arrived there, they were not taken in),” Concha said.

Hope

Amidst all the sadness, however, signs of hope manage to surface.

A pregnant woman has given birth at the hospital the Benito Ebuen Air Base in Mactan following a harrowing experience of clinging to a floating refrigerator at the height of the typhoon in order to survive. Another woman gave birth to a boy whom she will name “Lando Joe” to remind her of another chance at life she has been given.

There are also those who have generously shared what they have to typhoon victims like the owner of a garment factory in downtown Cebu City who, with her daughter, distributed new, branded clothes to survivors. She does not mind the cost, she said, as long as she could help.

“Walay problema basta makatabang lang ta nila (It’s not a problem as long as we can give help),” she told The Freeman.

There was also a time when a rich family in Cebu visited the evacuation centers to distribute relief goods and money to each of the evacuees.

Many others have given their donations through media outlets and government centers.

Emma Elnido, a 46-year-old teacher, is thankful of the generosity they have received from Cebuanos. She was among the first 90 evacuees from Tacloban that are now being housed at the sports complex in Barangay Tinago.

“Nagpasalamat g’yud kaayo ko sa inyong warm welcome para namo (I am very thankful for your warm welcome),” she said.

Intervention

Macopia said the most common psychological effect of a disaster is sleeplessness and many of those who manage to close their eyes are often disturbed by nightmares – that is, flashbacks of what they have been through.

One way to help the victims is through stress debriefing wherein the evacuees are encouraged to talk about their experience, even cry if they wanted, to abate the possibility of suffering from a post-traumatic stress disorder.

The online medical dictionary defines a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as “a debilitating psychological condition triggered by a major traumatic event, such as rape, war, a terrorist act, death of a loved one, a natural disaster, or a catastrophic accident. It is marked by upsetting memories or thoughts of the ordeal, “blunting” of emotions, increased arousal, and sometimes severe personality changes.”

Common symptoms include:

•hyperalertness

•fear and anxiety

•nightmares and flashbacks

•sight, sound, and smell recollection

•avoidance of recall situations

•anger and irritability

•guilt

•depression

•increased substance abuse

•negative world view

•decreased sexual activity

A psychologist assigned at the evacuation center in Barangay Tinago gave this tip to the victims: “Kun mabatyag ninyo nga mora’g mohuot ang inyong dughan nga mora mo og kahilakon, ginhawa’g lawom unya ihinay pag-release ang giginhawa ninyo nga hangin sa inyong ba-ba aron kamo ma-relieve (If you find it difficult to breathe and you feel like crying, take a deep breath and exhale very slowly through your mouth),” she said.

To give victims some space to recover, social workers have disallowed interviews from media, but the rule was loosened later although journalists were given strict instructions not to force an interview if the survivors refuse. 

Macopia said the survivors are not prevented from leaving the evacuation centers if they want to go around, but most of them have chosen to remain at the centers.

There are others, though, that have chosen to return. Despite the existing harsh conditions in Leyte, a handful of evacuees left for Tacloban City the other day, choosing to rebuild their lives home.

The road to recovery is a very long one for both the victims and the government and the journey ahead does not promise to be the smoothest. For now, at least, Cebu officials have assured help for the many that have stayed.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama who visited Tacloban City a few days ago could not find the words to describe the situation there and said the city will do its best to provide the evacuees shelter until they can find a new home of their own.

“Dili kita angay nga mapul-an pagserbisyo sa mga igsoon nato nga taga Leyte hangtud nga makakita na sila og tukma nga lugar nga ilang kabalhinan (We will continue to support our brother and sister from Leyte until they can find a new home). We cannot drive them away ” Rama said. /JMO (FREEMAN)