Rehab staff finds joy running a community of 194 survivors

CEBU, Philippines - Running a community of typhoon survivors is like parenting several times-fold.

Such is the case shared by a Family Rehabilitation Center in-charge, who manages the tent city with 194 individuals.

"It's like family here. We have formed a certain bond being one community sharing a common experience. At the same time, we have to also impose order," said Vic Jay Gonzal, who also acts as Philippine Red Cross Lapu-Lapu City chapter president.

He said he had to show his fatherly trait of making sure people maintain discipline inside the tent city.

"Some of our recipients leave without logging in our logbook or informing the in-charge. We had no idea where they were. That should not be the case. So what we did was, we employed an ID system so that we can monitor who's inside and who's out," he said.

For those who wish to go to the city from their temporary community at the City Hall block within the South Road Properties, transients are provided with free transportation with a scheduled time of departure and return.

Private groups and individuals also frequent the place to bring food and prepare activities for the settlers to maximize their time with.

The challenges at the tent city dedicated to transients from Eastern Visayas who survived super typhoon Yolanda mainly revolve on weather and how to maintain order inside the community.

"Some tents encountered problems when it rained for days. But we were able to manage that. There were those who complained but later on realized that there are inevitable matters and that the management is doing its best to address that," Gonzal said.

During typhoon Basyang last month, tent city settlers and volunteers alike experienced together a situation which reminded them of the very catastrophe that destroyed their homes and claimed the lives of some of their loved ones.

"Even before Basyang hit, the city government already informed us that we can use the nearby warehouse if the weather condition continued to be unpleasant. When it was raining hard with strong winds, we did a forced evacuation from the tents to the warehouse. The following morning, they returned to usual setup," Gonzal said.

During the strong winds and heavy rains, some asked for ladders fearing the storm surge would also hit them being near the coast.

Gonzal admitted that he and the rest of the volunteers will miss the little community and the bond that they've formed, with the tent city only operating until March 23 since the city government only gave them three months to temporarily utilize the city-owned area in SRP.

"Mag-adjust gyud mi ani. Naanad na baya mi nga kami pirmi magkita ug magkauban. But we also recognize that this is only temporary, as what we always tell them in our meetings," he said.

He added that the recent disasters may have caused the destruction of properties and lives, but it also empowered and strengthened response of government and private sector especially the Philippine Red Cross.

"Before, our equipment had to be transported from Manila, but now, Cebu is already equipped. We have standby (equipment) here. And because we have volunteers who come and go, I encourage those who want to serve to come and join us," Gonzal said.

The Family Rehabilitation Center has a total of 194 current population living in 54 tents composed of 103 female and 92 male.

Of the total, 33 are already working in Cebu, while there are three persons with disabilities (PWD) and four lactating mothers.  (FREEMAN)