Help for those affected by Typhoon Odette has been pouring in the province, particularly in southern Negros that was severely beaten by the storm.
It took a day for everyone to realize the devastation it caused, particularly in Kabankalan City, and three more days to discover the extent of destruction it also caused in other LGUs further down south, particularly in Sipalay City which has the highest death toll.
I’m not new to disasters and have covered many through the years as a reporter on the ground. You view it with a different lens, trying to stay stoic even while looking at the tragic scene around you, in your attempt to get the figures and report it back immediately.
Last Sunday, the experience was different. I joined Rotarians from Negros deliver aid to affected areas.
The Rotary Club of Bacolod who has a water-purifier tank went to Kabankalan City and stationed themselves in the public plaza. Long lines of the water containers needing to be filled up were seen around it. They were joined by the Rotary Club of Bacolod North and the Council of Presidents in Negros that also donated relief goods.
Our club, the RC Bacolod Central, opted to distribute relief goods in three coastal areas Binalbagan town, and thanks to volunteer groups there, we had an orderly distribution of goods, particularly the much-needed water.
I have to give a shout-out to the “Sunoy,” a team of young and not-so-young rescue volunteers who were mobilized by Engr. Patrick Mabag, a member of our club. It gave us a different definition of sunoy that is normally known as tambays or good-for-nothing youth. These sunoys are the opposite of that. Most of them were students trained by Patrick’s group in disaster response that garnered them national recognition. These sunoys made our Binalbagan mission memorable.
It was experiential to see aid-giving from a different lens as a civic volunteer than when I was in media. But there are heroes from among our ranks as well and I have to thank our own Executive Producer, Romeo Subaldo, for braving the road last Sunday and was one of the first responders in Sipalay City.
In fact, it was Romeo’s report that made us decide to concentrate our efforts this weekend in Sipalay where thousands are still in the evacuation centers and scores of wounded getting just emergency treatment.
We decided to make this a Rotary District mission, combining all efforts of 12 Rotary clubs in the province with the assistance from other districts, volunteer groups, and other local government units that were spared by Odette.
When we launched our fund drive in our little club of 25 members, we were able to come up with enough resources to help over 800 residents in Binalbagan. After last Sunday’s mission, we realized there is so much more to do and so we launched another drive again, and this time, help poured in from other places.
It is nice to see politicians in all colors, come to our assistance and make their visit non-political, but to truly help our kasimanwas. Former senator Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. with Davao Mayor Sara Duterte came and although they were not able to go to disaster sites, they left behind truckloads of aid.
President Rodrigo Duterte came with Sen. Bong Go and DOH Sec. Duque and promised aid as well. Senator Migz Zubiri who was in town earlier also said that he will sponsor an amendment to the budget to provide at least P10 billion for recovery efforts in areas affected by Odette in Visayas and Mindanao.
Vice-President Leni Robredo also came with actress, Kris Aquino and distributed aid in both Negros Occidental and Oriental. What I like about the aid-giving is that I know most of the aids distributed were repacked with the help of Leni volunteers that have been giving out relief goods from day one after they were informed that all campaign operations will cease in place of relief assistance.
Migz Zubiri said it best when he said be it red, blue, pink, yellow, green, or white, we should not color our help. He appealed that politics must cease in the face of disaster and while in other areas he encountered problems, he saw how people unite here in Negros to help residents in the south until they can recover from this tragedy.
It will be a sad Christmas for many of them and I am proud that my NEDF Family decided not to push through with their Christmas party and instead, went to Kabankalan on Wednesday, December 22, to provide relief in areas that have not been reached.
There are many more like them and it makes me proud to see so much empathy among Negrenses. More so that this is being done without any color in mind. Madamo gid nga salamat and a Happy Christmas to one and all!*