Bombing victims get Damayan assistance

Twenty-one-year-old Joan Go, her cousins Rowena and Rhodora Chua and niece Eunice Cañete-Chua had good reason to be excited on the afternoon of Dec. 30.

They were headed for the Enchanted Kingdom theme park in Laguna as part of a treat to reward the young Eunice for her outstanding performance in school.

It was going to be an adventure, and their journey meant taking the Light Rail Transit (LRT) – their first time to ride the popular mass transport system.

Being first-time riders, the group got the LRT terminals mixed up and found themselves taking a north-bound coach instead of a south-bound one.

That turned out to be a fatal mistake.

As the coach approached the Blumentrit station in Manila, a powerful explosion ripped through the coach, instantly killing Rowena and Eunice.

The two were among the 22 fatalities of a spate of Rizal Day bombings that remains unsolved up to this day. More than a hundred others were wounded and are still undergoing treatment.

After the blast, Rhodora was taken to the Metropolitan Hospital while Joan was rushed to the Chinese General Hospital. Joan, a graduating student at a university in Tacloban City, suffered third-degree burns on 60 percent of her body. One of legs may have to be amputated.

Her mother broke down in tears as she described the girl’s ordeal.

"I cannot understand why my daughter has to suffer like this. I’m sure any mother can relate to the agony I’m in right now. Each day I see feel pain, her helplessness, but what can I do?" the mother lamented.

Blast victims like Joan, however, have been receiving help. Organizations like Operation Damayan, the socio-civic arm of The STAR, have already initiated a fund drive to assist the survivors of the tragic bombings.

Joan was among the 13 victims at the Chinese General Hospital who recently received financial assistance from donations to the fund.

Joan, Joel Atienza, Ferdinand Canlas, Jamieson Misolas, Rhea Rodil, Roselyn Santiago, Jomarwin Torlao and Amil Suba each received P10,000. The Umali family (Paulino, Annabelle, Mary Ann Joy, Pauline and R-Jay) received P20,000. All of them were given canned goods and other food items.

As of yesterday, donations to Operation Damayan’s fund drive has reached P368,600. Latest donors include the following:

- Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi, P10,000.
- Bingohan sa Tutuban, P10,000.
- VTC, P10,000.
- Larry Basilio; P5,000.
- Anonymous, P5,000.
- PD Almario, P3,000.
- Direction Travel and Tours, 3,000.
- Carol Reyes, P1,000.
- JAM, P1,000.
- MCR, P500.
- RVS, P400.

Those who wish to donate to the fund drive, which ends Saturday, may call Damayan coordinator Melita Dioso at tel. no. 527-7901.