THE DAY AFTER SENDONG, no child could manage a smile, not when he has experienced losing his family, or seeing his surroundings being devastated. Photo by I. Mendoza and World Vision

MANILA, Philippines — In November 2011, Bayug Elementary School in Bayug Island, Iligan City had a total of 609 pupils.

And then Tropical Storm Sendong struck in December and caused massive devastation on the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. The storm took away lives, properties, and for most people, hope and faith.

It also washed away the entire Bayug Elementary School, including its 14 classrooms so much so that when classes opened on January 3, 2012 after the Christmas break, only 357 pupils came back. The 252 children who did not show up were accounted for as dead, missing, transferred, or “displaced’’, a vague category for “status unknown.’’ One teacher, out of 16, was also confirmed dead.

“Mahirap para sa aming lahat ang makabalik pero pinilit namin.

The teachers themselves are survivors but we have to lead and get back on our feet for our students. Many of our students had been orphaned, some of them had lost their entire families and we also have to look after their personal welfare. We are also still looking for the rest of the children who have not gone back to school,’’ lamented principal Mrs. Rosita O. Bayron.

Another serious woe is the fact that they have lost their schoolbuilding but have been prohibited to rebuild on the island which has become unsafe.

At present, the entire school population squats at the Iligan City East Central School, where makeshift classrooms have been set up, where there are no walls, just wooden dividers; and no seats, just plastic mats. Mrs. Bayron said this will be the situation until March, or until they find a suitable place on which to construct the new schoolbuilding.

Depending on how one looks at it, the situation at Hinaplanon Elementary School in Iligan City, may be infinitely better. The schoolbuilding remained intact after the storm, and only one out of the 600 pupils was confirmed dead. The school now serves as an evacuation area, while tents have been pitched to serve as classrooms.

“Education Secretary Armin Luistro really pushed for the opening of classes on January 3, because he said it was also one way to track the whereabouts of the pupils. So we really went back on January 3, and gradually, the number of pupils increased,’’ said Dr. Colita E. Pepito, Division education programs supervisor, DepEd, Iligan City.

The fact that the teachers also lost their loved ones or had homes to clean, does not exempt them from conducting classes, even amid the confusion and devastation.

“Our schools serve as venues for the pupils and teachers to talk about what they have gone through and what they feel inside. Talking, sharing experiences, will allow them to process their emotions. It will help start to bring normalcy back to our lives too,’’ Dr. Pepito explained.

DepEd Region 10 also issued Regional Memorandum number 114, series of 2011, allowing for the conduct of alternative delivery modes of education, which include play therapy.

HEALING AS PRIORITY

Of the non-government organizations which readily extended help to the people in the typhoon-affected areas, World Vision was among the first on the scene. A Christian development, advocacy and relief organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide, World Vision has been helping more than 100,000 Filipino children nationwide.

But first things first. A few days after Sendong struck, World Vision immediately acted to provide a safe place where children in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro could come and meet other children, learn some age-appropriate competencies to help them deal with the risks they face, and be involved in expressive and some educational activities. This refuge is called a Child-Friendly Space (CFS) which can be created in a school, a community center, a tent(s), or an open space either in a camp or in a community.

The CFS program is at the heart of World Vision efforts as far as helping children in difficult situations is concerned. CFS were set up when tsunami struck in Banda Aceh, Indonesia; when powerful earthquakes shook Japan, Indonesia, and China; or when children were displaced because of war or armed conflict, like what happened in South Darfur and in Lebanon.

In a CFS, explained World Vision communications specialist Aaron Aspi, children engage in psychoeducation activities which can help them cope with their “abnormal’’ situation.

Among these activities are games, dance, songs, learning of life skills, etc.

A CFS may also serve as a center for sharing information about where to find help, a place where mothers may come to breastfeed their children, a place for the registration of separated children, where parents may inquire about missing children.

Barely two weeks after the storm, World Vision already set up CFS in camps in Iligan City and CDO. Yhen Veso, CFS lead facilitator, observed that many children initially appeared shocked and dumbfounded. “Meron talagang mga tulala, pero naiintindihan namin na kasama yan sa epekto sa mga bata na dumaan sa ganyang karanasan. Yung iba mas matagal makabalik kumpara sa iba pero ganun talaga,’’ Veso said.

Veso stressed that CFS are also set up to empower the children, and make known to them of the structures or people whom they can depend on in the midst of difficult situations.

IT’S COOL TO BE BACK IN SCHOOL

When classes resumed last January 3, it was the turn of the teachers to man the CFS. Veso said they called out for teachers who could conduct the activities in the school-based CFS, and 93 came to learn the modules. “I think the teachers also want to move on and start their own journey to healing. So most of them volunteered to learn the modules and conduct the activities for the children,’’ Veso said.

School-based CFS primarily aims to encourage children to go back to school, provide space for them to play and interact with other children, ensure their well-being in times of emergency, and provide response to questions children may have in their mind as they learn important information about the disaster and its impact.

In Iligan City alone, about 5,000 children ages 3 to 13 are now benefitting from the CFS in four affected schools that have not received similar assistance from other organizations. These schools are in Pagatpat, Canito-an, Macanhan and Macasandig.

What makes going back to school more enticing to children and teachers is the fact that World Vision also distributes school bags and school supplies, a sign that everything is fresh and everything is starting anew.

One of the activities that CFS facilitators teach schoolchildren is the making of paper airplanes. On these planes, children are asked to write what they pray for to Jesus, in case of Christian kids, or Allah for the Muslim children.

After the tragic situation they have just been through, the children understandably write their common fervent wishes: a house, safety for their family and friends, or food on the table. After writing their prayers, the children are then asked to throw their planes up in the air to send God their wishes.

Smiling, jumping, laughing, the children fly their paper planes. They are armed with nothing but faith and the strong belief that amid the storm and the catastrophe that recently interrupted their young lives, God is watching, listening, and keeping His promise of safety and protection.