Evacuees in rollercoaster ride as they experience relief, uncertainty
Published Jan 17, 2020 12:00 am
By Joseph Almer Pedrajas and Ellson Quismorio
BATANGAS CITY – They had P240 in their pockets and eight children in tow. The Manila Bulletin/Tempo caught up with young couple, Mylene San Diego and Melvin Trinidad at the Don Felipe Agoncillo Multi-Purpose Hall in Barangay Buli, Taal, Batangas Monday as they waited for a free ride to the Batangas Provincial Sports Complex.
Residents of Talisay, Batangas climb on a military to evacuate on the safer ground after the Taal Volcano erupted (Ali Vicoy / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
"Papunta kami ng Batangas Sports Complex kasi yun ang sabi ng mayor (We're on our way to Batangas Sports Complex because that's what the mayor said)," Trinidad, 31, a local water district employee said.
The couple was impatient, anxious, and uncertain of what would happen to their family.
Taal Volcano blew her top just a day prior, covering their town in a thick layer of ash. The ground had shaken so often that, in your head, even a slight gust of wind felt like a big earthquake.
And the worst could still come, according to authorities.
"Sa totoo lang ang dala ko po P140, ang dala niya P100 (Truth is, I only have P140, while he has P100)," bared San Diego, also 31. Their lack of cash ruled out paying for transportation, since that might not even be enough for the trip, let alone surviving as evacuees.
"Baka tagain kami sa bayad ng mga tricycle driver kasi ngayon sila nakakabawi (Tricycle drivers might take advantage of the situation, charge us high fares because this is the time for them to earn big)," Santiago said as vacant tricycles whizzed by.
"Dapat may matira pa rin kaming pera pagdating doon (We need to save our money until we get there)," Trinidad said. "Madami po kasi kaming napaggastusan kaya konti lang nadala namin (We had a lot of expenses lately, that's why we only have this small amount.)
And then there are the children that they have to bring to safety. The couple has five children, but they also had to bring along three nephews and nieces. The youngest child was just three months old.
"Sila talaga inaalala namin. Kami naman mga matatanda maski matira na lang kami sa bahay OK lang pero yung mga bata hindi dapat pabayaan (The little ones are what we are worried about. We, adults can stay at home, but these children need care)," he said.
The calamity was slowly taking its toll on the kids, San Diego said. "Takot po yung mga bata dahil sa pagyanig na halos maya't maya. Sabi namin dasal lang, sabi ko nandyan namin si Lord (The children are afraid of the frequent tremors. We told them to just pray, I said the Lord will protect us)."
A few minutes later, an empty dump truck parked outside the multi-purpose hall and began picking up the hapless evacuees. It's not uncommon in the province to use dump trucks to transport people, and in this case, that truck smelled like a brand new Cadillac.
Trinidad gave a thumbs up sign as they left for the sports complex located outside the 14-kilometer-radius permanent danger zone of Taal Volcano.
For a while, life was quite comfortable at the sports complex as the arrival of volunteer groups kept pace with the evacuees.
"Dala namin itong mga damit lang, tubig. Alam naman namin na may magbibigay ng pagkain dito (We only brought clothes and water. We knew there would be food here)," Teody Armamento, 56, a welder, said.
Being among the first batch of evacuees meant that Armamento and his kin had access to sleeping mats, maybe even a tent, along with water to last them a day or two. During that rainy Monday night, a particular volunteer group handed out soup to the displaced families.
The situation began to change Wednesday as more displaced residents trooped to the sports complex.
Diane Rose Reyes, 26, of Barangay Butong, Taal town, said her three-month-old baby has started coughing, which was worrisome given the exposure to volcanic ash.
“Mainit po . Tapos binabahing, parang magkakasipon (It's hot here. And I think we're coming down with flu),” Reyes said.
Reyes, her husband and other family members chose to set up sleeping mats outside the gymnasium because it was getting too cramped and uncomfortable inside. Close to 50 tents were seen outside the facility.
“Yung diaper saka gatas ni baby, huling gamit na lang. Punas punas lang din kasi mahirap yung paliguan, maraming tao (We're running out of diapers and milk. We could only wipe to clean ourselves since the queue in the bathing area is too long),” she said.
Like the Reyeses, the Cabreras preferred camping outside the gymnasium since it was too humid inside. “Saka malayo sa CR, eh gayong panay CR yung anak ko (The comfort room is far from us. My child frequents the CR),” Aida Cabrera, 63, said.
While food, water and clothes were deemed "enough" for the evacuees at the sports complex thanks to the efforts of the local government and concerned individuals, some Taal Volcano victims are now more concerned about their hygiene.
Comfort rooms (CRs) at the facility were flooded, while mobile CRs have begun to stink due to non-maintenance.
Another evacuee, Mae Fernando, 18 was able to bring her two pet dogs – a poodle and a shih tzu – at the complex. “Nakakaawa po ’yung aso eh. Pinayagan naman (I pitied the dogs. Good thing they let them in),” she said.
But other pet owners like Estelita Gonzales weren't as lucky as she was prohibited from bringing her dogs. “Andoon yung mga aso namin sa hipag ko (We left our dogs with my sister-in-law),” she said.
Meanwhile, Mark Louise Gahol, a volunteer of a youth organization, said evacuees sheltered at a church in Taal town were in dire need of provisions, particularly ready-to-eat food, bottled water, and toiletries.
Some evacuees in Santo Tomas City also need sleeping mats, according to the local government’s disaster and risk reduction management chief.
New horses
Neophyte Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, chairman of the Senate health committee,
rushed to Bauan, Batangas and Tagaytay Thursday and distributed grocery packs, regular face masks, N95 masks, and packed meals at Bauan Technical High School
Go said some individuals have committed to donate horses as livelihood assistance, especially to residents in Tagaytay City who lost the horses they use to earn a living.
“I learned that many horses died. I asked my friends to donate horses,” Go said. Some horses were already turned over to the evacuees during Go’s visit, while the rest will be brought to other towns in Cavite and Batangas.
Senators Francis Tolentino and Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, who both reside in Cavite, joined Go and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea during the visit and also provided their own assistance to the victims.
The evacuees from different affected towns also received financial and relief assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and other concerned government agencies present. Affected local government units also received financial assistance from the Office of the President to help in their recovery and rehabilitation efforts.
Help continues to pour
Responding to the appeal of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to help displaced Taal victims, an IT solutions company, Yondu, Inc handed to PRC Chairman Sen. Richard Gordon a P500,000 checque.
Dr. Vicki Bello and her daughter, Scarlet Snow likewise donated P500, 000 for Taal victims Wednesday. “The reason that I feel confident giving money to the organization is because I know the money will definitely go where it is supposed to go. You’ve been doing such a great job. PRC is the place to give for donations because they already have the logistics and the people,” said Bello.
The South Korean government announced that it will give $200,000 (about P10 million) to the Philippine Red Cross for the victims of the Taal eruption.
“The government of the Republic of Korea has decided to provide $200,000 in humanitarian assistance through the Philippine Red Cross to help about 45,000 people displaced by the eruption of the Philippines' Taal Volcano that began on January 12,” Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
It added: “The assistance is expected to contribute to the stabilization of the lives of the displaced people by providing relief supplies in a speedy manner to people staying at shelters due to the volcanic eruption.”
Father Reginald Malicdem, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Manila said the faithful may bring donations like canned goods in their parishes. “The parishes will accept," Malicdem said in an interview.
Parishes in the Archdiocese of Manila are set to conduct a second collection in all Masses on the evening of Saturday (Jan. 18) and Sunday (Jan.19) upon the request of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.
The intention that the eruptions may end and that all may be safe will also be included in the Prayer of the Faithful in all Masses.
Caritas Manila, the social action arm of the archdiocese, is also gathering cash and in-kind donations for those affected by the natural disaster.
Donations may be dropped off at the Caritas Manila office at 2002 Jesus St. Pandacan, Manila;
sent online via https://ubpay.com.ph/caritasmanila/ and choose ‘Caritas Damayan Taal Volcano;’
or through bank deposit to savings account name ‘Caritas Manila, Inc.’
Emergency employment
Meanwhile, at least 10,000 workers affected by the Taal Volcano eruption are set to benefit from the emergency employment provided by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
"We will provide emergency employment to 1,000 beneficiaries per municipality affected by the Taal Volcano erruption," Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in a press briefing Thursday.
He said the emergency employment will be provided to workers from the 10 worst-hit towns in Batangas -- Lemery, Mataas na Kahoy, Agoncillo, Laurel, Talisay, Taal, San Nicolas, Balete, San Jose, and Sta. Teresita.
The workers who will be given emergency employment are being eyed to help in community work in affected areas. "We will give them instructions to clean up the mess created by the eruption."
Earlier, the labor chief allocated P72.6 million for 6,000 government interns to be hired and placed in 10 areas in Batangas.
Under the DOLE’s Government Internship Program, the affected areas of Lemery, Mataas na Kahoy, Agoncillo, Laurel, Talisay, Taal, San Nicolas, Balite, San Jose, and Sta. Teresita will be provided with 600 interns each.
The program provides temporary employment to the affected residents and at the same time help the local government units with their rehabilitation efforts.
The interns will be engaged for a period of 30 days and will receive a salary of P12,050, which is equivalent to the prevailing minimum wage in the region. (With reports from Mario B. Casayuran, Jel Santos, Jonathan Hicap, and Leslie Ann. G. Aquino)
Residents of Talisay, Batangas climb on a military to evacuate on the safer ground after the Taal Volcano erupted (Ali Vicoy / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
"Papunta kami ng Batangas Sports Complex kasi yun ang sabi ng mayor (We're on our way to Batangas Sports Complex because that's what the mayor said)," Trinidad, 31, a local water district employee said.
The couple was impatient, anxious, and uncertain of what would happen to their family.
Taal Volcano blew her top just a day prior, covering their town in a thick layer of ash. The ground had shaken so often that, in your head, even a slight gust of wind felt like a big earthquake.
And the worst could still come, according to authorities.
"Sa totoo lang ang dala ko po P140, ang dala niya P100 (Truth is, I only have P140, while he has P100)," bared San Diego, also 31. Their lack of cash ruled out paying for transportation, since that might not even be enough for the trip, let alone surviving as evacuees.
"Baka tagain kami sa bayad ng mga tricycle driver kasi ngayon sila nakakabawi (Tricycle drivers might take advantage of the situation, charge us high fares because this is the time for them to earn big)," Santiago said as vacant tricycles whizzed by.
"Dapat may matira pa rin kaming pera pagdating doon (We need to save our money until we get there)," Trinidad said. "Madami po kasi kaming napaggastusan kaya konti lang nadala namin (We had a lot of expenses lately, that's why we only have this small amount.)
And then there are the children that they have to bring to safety. The couple has five children, but they also had to bring along three nephews and nieces. The youngest child was just three months old.
"Sila talaga inaalala namin. Kami naman mga matatanda maski matira na lang kami sa bahay OK lang pero yung mga bata hindi dapat pabayaan (The little ones are what we are worried about. We, adults can stay at home, but these children need care)," he said.
The calamity was slowly taking its toll on the kids, San Diego said. "Takot po yung mga bata dahil sa pagyanig na halos maya't maya. Sabi namin dasal lang, sabi ko nandyan namin si Lord (The children are afraid of the frequent tremors. We told them to just pray, I said the Lord will protect us)."
A few minutes later, an empty dump truck parked outside the multi-purpose hall and began picking up the hapless evacuees. It's not uncommon in the province to use dump trucks to transport people, and in this case, that truck smelled like a brand new Cadillac.
Trinidad gave a thumbs up sign as they left for the sports complex located outside the 14-kilometer-radius permanent danger zone of Taal Volcano.
For a while, life was quite comfortable at the sports complex as the arrival of volunteer groups kept pace with the evacuees.
"Dala namin itong mga damit lang, tubig. Alam naman namin na may magbibigay ng pagkain dito (We only brought clothes and water. We knew there would be food here)," Teody Armamento, 56, a welder, said.
Being among the first batch of evacuees meant that Armamento and his kin had access to sleeping mats, maybe even a tent, along with water to last them a day or two. During that rainy Monday night, a particular volunteer group handed out soup to the displaced families.
The situation began to change Wednesday as more displaced residents trooped to the sports complex.
Diane Rose Reyes, 26, of Barangay Butong, Taal town, said her three-month-old baby has started coughing, which was worrisome given the exposure to volcanic ash.
“Mainit po . Tapos binabahing, parang magkakasipon (It's hot here. And I think we're coming down with flu),” Reyes said.
Reyes, her husband and other family members chose to set up sleeping mats outside the gymnasium because it was getting too cramped and uncomfortable inside. Close to 50 tents were seen outside the facility.
“Yung diaper saka gatas ni baby, huling gamit na lang. Punas punas lang din kasi mahirap yung paliguan, maraming tao (We're running out of diapers and milk. We could only wipe to clean ourselves since the queue in the bathing area is too long),” she said.
Like the Reyeses, the Cabreras preferred camping outside the gymnasium since it was too humid inside. “Saka malayo sa CR, eh gayong panay CR yung anak ko (The comfort room is far from us. My child frequents the CR),” Aida Cabrera, 63, said.
While food, water and clothes were deemed "enough" for the evacuees at the sports complex thanks to the efforts of the local government and concerned individuals, some Taal Volcano victims are now more concerned about their hygiene.
Comfort rooms (CRs) at the facility were flooded, while mobile CRs have begun to stink due to non-maintenance.
Another evacuee, Mae Fernando, 18 was able to bring her two pet dogs – a poodle and a shih tzu – at the complex. “Nakakaawa po ’yung aso eh. Pinayagan naman (I pitied the dogs. Good thing they let them in),” she said.
But other pet owners like Estelita Gonzales weren't as lucky as she was prohibited from bringing her dogs. “Andoon yung mga aso namin sa hipag ko (We left our dogs with my sister-in-law),” she said.
Meanwhile, Mark Louise Gahol, a volunteer of a youth organization, said evacuees sheltered at a church in Taal town were in dire need of provisions, particularly ready-to-eat food, bottled water, and toiletries.
Some evacuees in Santo Tomas City also need sleeping mats, according to the local government’s disaster and risk reduction management chief.
New horses
Neophyte Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, chairman of the Senate health committee,
rushed to Bauan, Batangas and Tagaytay Thursday and distributed grocery packs, regular face masks, N95 masks, and packed meals at Bauan Technical High School
Go said some individuals have committed to donate horses as livelihood assistance, especially to residents in Tagaytay City who lost the horses they use to earn a living.
“I learned that many horses died. I asked my friends to donate horses,” Go said. Some horses were already turned over to the evacuees during Go’s visit, while the rest will be brought to other towns in Cavite and Batangas.
Senators Francis Tolentino and Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, who both reside in Cavite, joined Go and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea during the visit and also provided their own assistance to the victims.
The evacuees from different affected towns also received financial and relief assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and other concerned government agencies present. Affected local government units also received financial assistance from the Office of the President to help in their recovery and rehabilitation efforts.
Help continues to pour
Responding to the appeal of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to help displaced Taal victims, an IT solutions company, Yondu, Inc handed to PRC Chairman Sen. Richard Gordon a P500,000 checque.
Dr. Vicki Bello and her daughter, Scarlet Snow likewise donated P500, 000 for Taal victims Wednesday. “The reason that I feel confident giving money to the organization is because I know the money will definitely go where it is supposed to go. You’ve been doing such a great job. PRC is the place to give for donations because they already have the logistics and the people,” said Bello.
The South Korean government announced that it will give $200,000 (about P10 million) to the Philippine Red Cross for the victims of the Taal eruption.
“The government of the Republic of Korea has decided to provide $200,000 in humanitarian assistance through the Philippine Red Cross to help about 45,000 people displaced by the eruption of the Philippines' Taal Volcano that began on January 12,” Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
It added: “The assistance is expected to contribute to the stabilization of the lives of the displaced people by providing relief supplies in a speedy manner to people staying at shelters due to the volcanic eruption.”
Father Reginald Malicdem, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Manila said the faithful may bring donations like canned goods in their parishes. “The parishes will accept," Malicdem said in an interview.
Parishes in the Archdiocese of Manila are set to conduct a second collection in all Masses on the evening of Saturday (Jan. 18) and Sunday (Jan.19) upon the request of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.
The intention that the eruptions may end and that all may be safe will also be included in the Prayer of the Faithful in all Masses.
Caritas Manila, the social action arm of the archdiocese, is also gathering cash and in-kind donations for those affected by the natural disaster.
Donations may be dropped off at the Caritas Manila office at 2002 Jesus St. Pandacan, Manila;
sent online via https://ubpay.com.ph/caritasmanila/ and choose ‘Caritas Damayan Taal Volcano;’
or through bank deposit to savings account name ‘Caritas Manila, Inc.’
Emergency employment
Meanwhile, at least 10,000 workers affected by the Taal Volcano eruption are set to benefit from the emergency employment provided by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
"We will provide emergency employment to 1,000 beneficiaries per municipality affected by the Taal Volcano erruption," Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in a press briefing Thursday.
He said the emergency employment will be provided to workers from the 10 worst-hit towns in Batangas -- Lemery, Mataas na Kahoy, Agoncillo, Laurel, Talisay, Taal, San Nicolas, Balete, San Jose, and Sta. Teresita.
The workers who will be given emergency employment are being eyed to help in community work in affected areas. "We will give them instructions to clean up the mess created by the eruption."
Earlier, the labor chief allocated P72.6 million for 6,000 government interns to be hired and placed in 10 areas in Batangas.
Under the DOLE’s Government Internship Program, the affected areas of Lemery, Mataas na Kahoy, Agoncillo, Laurel, Talisay, Taal, San Nicolas, Balite, San Jose, and Sta. Teresita will be provided with 600 interns each.
The program provides temporary employment to the affected residents and at the same time help the local government units with their rehabilitation efforts.
The interns will be engaged for a period of 30 days and will receive a salary of P12,050, which is equivalent to the prevailing minimum wage in the region. (With reports from Mario B. Casayuran, Jel Santos, Jonathan Hicap, and Leslie Ann. G. Aquino)