EVACUEES CRY FOR HELP
Mayon’s activity spawns more problems
CAMALIG, Albay – Inside the Bariw National High School are 10,505 evacuees whose lives have been disrupted by Mount Mayon’s volcanic activity.
CAMALIG, Albay – Inside the Bariw National High School are 10,505 evacuees whose lives have been disrupted by Mount Mayon’s volcanic activities.
Packed like sardines in 21 classrooms designed for a thousand students, the evacuees rely mainly on dole-outs from government and private individuals for food and other basic necessities.
The school has only seven toilets to service the evacuees, forcing many of them to seek relief elsewhere.
Hernando Nuica, the teacher in charge of the evacuation center, said they are in dire need of clean water and portalets.
“Yung ibang comfort rooms barado na,” he said.
Aside from sanitation issues, Nuica also said they need a communal kitchen which they can use to feed the evacuees.
Up to 40 families occupy one classroom, according to Nuica.
“Dapat 10 lang pero since dumadami yung mga evacuees, kaya punong-puno talaga. Noong Lunes, may mga dumating pa dito, naki-usap kami na dun na lang sa kabilang evacuation center,” he said.
Camalig Mayor Ding Baldo said they have a standby fund of ₱9 million that can be used for the Mayon evacuees.
Donations have also been pouring in from Manila and Filipinos based abroad, according to Baldo.
“Pasalamat po tayo sa kanila. Medyo nasu-sustain natin, lalo na sa pagkain ng mga evacuees. Yung kinakatakutan ko lang ay kung tumagal ito. Kasi may nagsasabi na baka 45 days o 90 days pa,” Baldo said.
Baldo is appealing for help from the national government.
“Yung probinsiya talaga, ang alam ko, depleted na rin yung budget. So, ako po sana, nakikiusap sa national government kasi napakalaking problema ito at sila lang ang pwedeng makatulong sa atin,” Baldo said.
On Wednesday, Vice President Leni Robredo visited the evacuation center and distributed sacks of rice and boxes of biscuits, sardines, noodles and corned beef. Robredo vowed more help. “Pagbalik ko mamaya sa Manila, hihingi tayo ng tulong. Kailangan yayain natin yung mas madami pa nating kababayan dahil dumadami na talaga ang ating evacuees. As of this morning, bago po ako umalis ng Naga, nasa 48,000 na yung numero ng evacuees,” she said.
To say that life inside the evacuation center is hard is an understatement.
Wilma Nebrez, 47, of Barangay Quirangay said they could not sleep properly.
“Nung pumutok, grabe yung abo, halos di mo na makita yung paligid mo. Grabe, di ka makatulog sa takot dahil, dumadagungdong yung bulkan na parang may kulog at tunog ng eroplano,” Nebrez recalled.
Nebrez said she lost her eldest son during Mayon’s eruption in 1993.
“Namatay yung panganay kong anak, yun ay noong pumutok din ang bulkan. Buntis ako nun, namatay yung panganay ko dahil sa sobrang stress dala ng kailangan din naming mag-evacuate,” she narrated.
“Sana matapos na ito. Sana tumigil na yung Mayon, hirap na hirap na kami,” she ended.
Lorna Vibar, 64, another resident of Quirangay, said his husband along with other neighbors have chosen to return to their villages to guard their homes against thieves.
“Yung kapitbahay ko, ninakawan nung isang araw. Yung kawali, kaldero saka iba pang gamit sa kusina, kinuha yun,” she said. “Hindi pa nakuntento yung magnanakaw, sinunog pa yung bahay. Buti na lang naagapan.”
Her pregnant daughter and sonin-law also stay in the evacuation center, according to Vibar.
Like everyone in the center, Vibar said they face an uncertain future.
“Yung manugang ko, construction ang hanapbuhay, walang trabaho ngayon kasi kailangan din asikasuhin yung pamilya niya. Lalo pa na manganganak ito. Di ko nga alam kung saan kukuha ng panggastos kapag nanganak kasi wala, walang kaming pinagkaka-kitaan,” she said.