With just a small piece of paper
Last February, when they noticed that our team was at the entrance to their community, they rushed to join us, hoping that we were another group of donors with supplies for them who were affected by typhoon Yolanda at Sitio Camotes, Tapilon, Daanbantayan, Cebu.
We were there, however, for data gathering. I wanted to know how best to assist all community residents, especially the disaster victims by asking them about their experiences, their views, and suggestions. A Toyo University colleague, Prof. Gaku Manago, was there to check on the quality of water and hygiene in the area.
From that first visit, with the partnership of Councilor Alvin Dizon and his able staff, Ailee and Shyne, within the week, we were able to send a household survey form which the residents quickly filled up. The HH survey intended to have clear and updated information about the household members , their HH number, their profile (age, gender, education, employment, income, among others) and their experiences during the disaster (any injury or damage to person or property, their immediate needs, action, response taken or assistance received from what local or international groups).
They were also asked to indicate and include members who were not living with them at the time of the disaster and to submit each household profile data to a selected leader of a 10-family cluster. Each cluster was asked to discuss, decide and prioritize families for assistance and to submit the completed community HH survey to a barangay representative, health worker, civil society representative, with a copy to be given to the Vice Mayor who in turn, was requested to send scanned copies of the completed HH forms by email to me for processing.
Fast forward, September 1. Again, they rushed when they saw our Toyo University group, even if they had to hurdle the floods left by the heavy rains the night before. One lady raised her pants above her knees to show us how high the flood was in their area! Since we met them in February, the floods have become their daily challenge. Their community is situated in a swampy place and so, even with light rain, their area gets flooded. Already, one could readily observe the effect of dirty flood water on their skin. They also reported colds, cough, and diarrhea as common ailments related to their flood situation. The residents are afraid about what will happen to them if future stronger disasters hit their coastal community.
Urgently calling on the LGU and Provincial Government please to assist the Sitio Camotes residents (more than 150 households)!
They expected us to bring the appropriate matched assistance for them as they had long and promptly filled up the HH survey in February, immediately after we sent the forms! They also tried to plant vegetables as we suggested last February but most were destroyed by the constant floods.
Sadly, the filled up forms never reached us so we apologized that we had nothing for them except again our presence and Gaku-sensei and our Toyo students' water and hygiene testing devices. We assured them that once we get their filled up forms, in our next visit, we hope to be able to appropriately respond to their needs, however we can, with our sincerest, best effort.
Then the 7 Toyo university students (Kazuyuki Yamauchi, Kotono Yoshimura, Marika Terada, Mikiko Hayashi, Motoharu Sano, Ayaka Amano, Saki Kawashima) with UP students Araceli Adlawon and Angela Naval asked the 100 plus children who also gathered there to form lines. The Toyo students brought origami colored papers and demonstrated how to make figures from the paper. The Sitio Camotes children paid serious attention to the demonstration and afterwards, enthusiastically tried to make their own origami, with the assistance of the Toyo and UP students.
Then, the beautiful realization. Even just one sheet of paper brought out more joy in the eyes and hearts of the Sitio Camotes children! One origami paper also connected the children with the Toyo and UP students. The adults watching the beautiful sharing of time and care and the children of the community momentarily forgot their dire situation, forgot the floods and their needs, and everyone had a big smile on their faces. A number of us had tears in our eyes.
May our local officials immediately respond to their flooded situation and may the children and residents of Sitio Camotes, Tapilon, Daanbantayan never rush again to await assistance from outsiders. May they, together with the LGU officials, be empowered to meet their challenges together, soonest! May everyone join hands together to support the disaster victims like them stand up on their own independent feet soonest!
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