Already used to ‘do’ it anywhere

“IT’S not that residents in Barangay 76-A Bucanan in Davao City don’t know what a toilet is. The reason actually is that they don’t know the importance of a toilet,” Edmond Ligan, a tricycle driver, of Purok 5 in Bucana, said in the vernacular.

This may hold true aside from the fact that there are residents who could not afford to mount a toilet, while others are already used to “just pee or poo” anywhere they like simply because they don’t have a toilet of their own.

During a visit in the area, this writer found out that although most of the houses in 76-A Bucana have their own toilet, there are still some that don’t have one, most of which are located near the coastal area and a nearby river.

For one like 11-yearold Bong, of Purok Dapsa, whose family has been living near a coastal area in Bucana, he said his family has already been used to their condition without a toilet.

He said he could, in fact, urinate or defecate either on the sand or at the beach, as long as no one could see him.

He said he has been used to this since he was young, though he knows what a toilet is. But since they do not have one, they do not make a big deal out of it.

“Nakadak-an naman pud nako. Mao na pud among naandan kay sa una pa man mi diri walay banyo. Naa man pud amo balay diri daplin dagat, mao na amo ginaingon na shoot ra deretso didto sa dagat,” Bong said.

“Lisod man pud maghimo mi ug banyo unya wala man mi igong kantidad para ana. Bisan pa gani siguro naa mi banyo ug galing dili mapugngan mugawas among gibati pwede ra mi mangita ug kagawsan kay na anad naman,” he added.

When asked where they are taking a bath, Eric Rex Berundo, of Saint John in Bucanan, answered in one word-- “anywhere” with a big smile on his face.

“Problema ba na? Pwede ra man mi maligo dira tungod sa among balay or di ba kaha muambak deretso sa dagat, basta lang kay naa’y tubig, maka ligo nami. Kung mag pagawas sa dili maayong gipamati, ahh, mao na amo ginaingon na pagtungtong sa tunghang gabii, managan sa kalubin-an o di ba kaha i-syumoy dira sa ubos sa balay,” Berundo said.

Riza Largo, a vendor, of the same place, who also lives near the coastal area, in fact cited four ways how to “comfort” themselves: One is through the so-called flying saucer; through a hole on a sand; look for trees, and at the beach.

By using a “flying saucer,” one will defecate in a cellophane and throw it anywhere.

Another way is to make a hole on sand, defecate on it then cover it again with a sand. One can also look for a tree where they can urinate or defecate behind.

“Kami gani diri bago ra mi nag ka-CR. Gimaomao lang gud. Bahala ug ordinary basta lang kay naa mi maka-libangan. Ug mapuno-puno na pud kini bang murag tanke na amo lang pud gibuhat, limpyuhan lang pud namo para dili na kaayo manimaho ang palibot, lisod naman gud,” Largo said.

Luzviminda Pejo, also of Saint John, who was washing her clothes outside their house, echoed the same sentiment and said her aunt has just mounted a mini toilet which will be shared at least by three families.

“Lisod kaayo wala kay sariling banyo uy, mag diindiin pud ang tao pangihi ug libang unya ang gawas ana madugay manimaho na ang palibot. Daghan pa diri wala’y banyo gud, dili man sa wala sila kaila or dili na nila na kinahanglan, pait lang jud. Unya ang uban, murag naandan nalang jud nila. Ok nalang pud sa ila gani nga wala’y banyo. Pero sa amo dili na magsilbi uy,” Pejo said.

On the other hand, Kristina M. Canda, of 76-A Bucana,said it took 25 years before they can have their own toilet. She added that for some residents in the area, to get a toilet is too expensive already.

“We’ve been here since 1973. Wala pa man ng CR-CR sa amo sa una. Diri lang sa dagat mag bawas or mag ihi. Sa tinuod lang gasto naman gud na sa amo ng magbuhat ka ug banyo, kinahanglan pa tiguman para naa kay sariling banyo. Uban gani diri, isa ka banyo, pito ka pamilya mag gamit,” Canda said.

Flor Olan-olan, assistant secretary at 76-A Bucana barangay hall, said as far as their barangay is concerned, all purok leaders are tasked to check their respective areas and list down those houses that don’t have yet septic tanks or toilets so as the barangay would know what to do about their concern.

When asked for statistics, Olan-olan said she cannot yet provide figures on how many houses as of the moment still don’t have its own toilet. She added that only the purok leaders have the list.

“Sa ila (purok leaders) man gud na gihatag na trabaho. And dili pud ko makasulti kung pila ba ka balay ang wala pay banyo, kay kung unsa tong mga makuha na info sa purok leader, mao ra man pud na ilang ihatag diri. As of the tally, wala pa,” Olan-olan said.

Barangay 76-A has a total of 14 puroks and is the biggest of the 182 barangays in Davao City.