‘We gave them food and they cried’


Once hungry evacuees are now well fed at the evacuation center in the Tinago sports complex in Cebu City. But it is still unclear how long evacuees can stay in gyms and pension houses

When Tinago Barangay (village) Captain Joel Garganera first set up the evacuation center at the sports complex here 5 days ago, he saw something that troubled him deeply.

“They came here. They said they’re hungry. And when you give them food, they cry. I wonder why.”

“Later, I understand they lined up there for two days just to get a ride on a C130. No food to eat, just water. Before that, they walked 10 kilometers to get to the airport from their homes, some in wheelchairs with all those bruises. It’s so sad,” he told Rappler on Sunday, November 17.

Garganera was referring to the 1,000 evacuees from Samar and Leyte who fled their home provinces in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), the world’s strongest typhoon that hit central Philippines on November 8.

The typhoon killed 3,681 people as of last count, and flattened entire cities and towns, leaving residents of Eastern Visayas homeless and many fleeing with only the clothes on their back.

Now in Cebu, the evacuees are in a much better condition. Garganera said there is no shortage of food, water and medical care, with the city government, private donors, and foreign groups welcoming the busloads of victims upon their arrival on board military ships and planes.

In Tinago, barangay officials and volunteers try to make the evacuees feel at home. There is a playhouse for children, 24/7 medical desk, professionals conducting debriefing, mats and pillows, 10 toilets, regular meals and snacks, and this weekend, even a medical mission from a Taiwanese group, and a party organized by students.

The complex houses 300 and is not overcrowded, with the new evacuees brought to other centers.

“There’s a very big difference. You see the smile on their face. There was one school teacher. I didn’t know she was a teacher because she wore the same dress for 6 days and I only found out when she got new clothes and she began talking.”

Garganera added, “If you wear the same clothes, the same underwear, somehow it affects your behavior, your personality, but once you are dressed up already, you try to show the real you. It’s bringing back dignity.”


Joel Garganera, barangay captain of Tinago in Cebu City, says it is uncertain how long the evacuation centers will operate as the exodus from Haiyan-hit provinces continues 9 days after the disaster

Indefinite stay

With Cebu’s strategic location, Garganera said it is natural for the country’s de facto second capital to be a transit point for the victims. Cebu is located west of Samar and Leyte, the hardest hit provinces.

The barangay captain said there are now 5 evacuation centers in Cebu City, and others in Mandaue City in Cebu province. Besides barangay gyms, the centers consist of pension houses and government offices.

Many of the evacuees are women and children.

“Many of the men are left behind to secure their loved ones, to look for their missing relatives,” Garganera said.

Nine days after the disaster, the exodus has not stopped. While evacuees are welcome, Garganera said he does not know until when the barangay and the city government will provide the manpower, electricity, transportation and other resources to keep the evacuation centers going.

While some evacuees proceed to their relatives’ homes or head to other areas, others have no place to go.

“The big question is for how long they’re gonna stay here. That I do not know. I would say indefinite,” he said.

Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama and Philippine Red Cross Chairman Richard Gordon have announced a plan to convert a building at the South Road Properties into a Red Cross tent city.

The Cebu Provincial Government is also looking into a similar arrangement. Provincial Board Member Miguel Magpale told Rappler he was among those Governor Hilario Davide III tasked to look for a property owned by the province for a tent city.

“We are considering different locations. We do not want the evacuees to be exposed to bad elements, to go into drugs or be prone to prostitution. At the same time, the understanding is it will only be temporary because the province also has its own problem of homeless people. We have to balance that,” Magpale said.

Magpale said there are now 3,000 evacuees estimated in Cebu, and their stay can extend to about a year.

“There are a lot of factors to consider like putting up plumbing and electricity but the national government has said it will shoulder the cost,” he said.

Secretary to the Cabinet Jose Rene Almendras has said that the government is sure that the evacuees will eventually go back to Samar and Leyte as it promises to rehabilitate the devastated areas.

Still, some evacuees no longer have plans of returning.

Only consolation

For now, Garganera said he and his barangay will just do their best to accommodate the victims.

“We have to make them feel secure. We have to provide them what they need and somehow give them hope and try to help them in bringing their loved ones here and their families. Somehow, to help them get a new start.”

The barangay captain said as much as possible, he tries to distance himself from the evacuees so he does not get too emotionally attached, and is able to run the operations well.

“When some of them are leaving the evacuation center, they cry. They embrace you and they salute you. ‘Thank you, sir.’ That’s my only consolation. I just think, ‘Good. We are doing the right thing.’”

Source:-
http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/issue...ebu-evacuation