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AYI ON SENDONG
My Story… Their Story… Our Shared Story
First of a series
By Ariel C. Hernandez, Written 20 December 2012
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| Ayi and
Belle, with children (L-R) Gabbi, Sammi and Danni |
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I woke up with a sense of
panic when I heard the sudden impact of rampaging flood waters
entering our room. I was even more shocked when I saw that it was
coming from the airconditioner which was one foot feet from the
floor. It was about 12:30 a.m.
Immediately I woke up my wife
Belle and grabbed my son, Kuya Danni, from his bed. I then ran to
the room of my daughters, Ate Gabbi and Sammi, who were still
asleep. The water inside the house was already knee-deep but it was
rising so fast that all the things on the floor started floating and
falling. The kids were shouting and I told them to keep silent. I
initially asked them to stay on top of our kitchen counter to keep
them from the cold water. Fortunately we had a big flashlight with
us which Ate Gabbi used the night before. When I pointed the light
outside, I saw how fast the water was rising. With raised voice, I
talked to a neighbor from across the road as to our options. He then
told us to get out and join them in their place, which was on higher
ground. I tried opening the door, but it was meant to open out while
the flood current was pushing it in. I kicked it, but I couldn’t
open it completely. Somehow, Kuya Danni inserted his body to allow a
bigger opening, giving everyone space to get out and swim from our
front door to the parked vehicle, and then to the gate. At that time
the water outside was already 6 to 7 feet deep.
When the three kids were
already in the gate, while Belle and I were still holding on to the
car, I told them to swim to our neighbor’s place, where his family
was already on the balcony at the second floor. The flashlight gave
us a good sight in the midst of strong rains and the cold flood.
Without hesitation, the three kids swam with confidence (thanks to
their swimming lessons!) and were pulled out immediately by our
neighbor. Then Belle and I followed. By then we had to move to their
rooftop as the water rose to about 12 feet.
While we gathered at the top,
we saw another neighbor with a family of five on top of their house,
beside ours. The wife was starting to be hysterical, crying out that
they be rescued. I told them to just follow the electric lines, then
they can grab the piece of wood I was holding. Before they finally
decided to transfer to our position, I had to tell them strongly
that they will die if they will not get out from their rooftop. We
grabbed them one by one as they cried and wailed as if they were
going to die in that instance.
We were finally settled on
the rooftop, five families all in all, including another family who
came from behind. I felt so helpless hearing the cry of “Tabang!”
(help), or was it “Tabangi mi!” (help us), from everywhere
around us. Too disturbing was the wailing of the children who were
either too frightened or about to be drowned.
Looking back, hearing the
calls for help was the most difficult moment, even more than the
near-death experience as we struggled to open the door to get out
and be saved from the floods.
We stayed on the rooftop for
two hours hoping and praying that the water will stop rising. By 3
a.m., the water slowly receded and everybody was hoping for rescue.
But nobody came until the break of dawn.
By 5:30 the water was already
knee-deep so I asked Kuya Danni to come with me and go down to take
a look at our house and the whole neighborhood. The girls followed
and looked for our other home companion, our dog Whitey. We found
him covered with mud. He had been with us for almost five years
already.
Out in the street, people
were all around. I saw an 11-year-old girl whose dead body was
covered with just a plastic wrap, the scared faces of mothers
attending to their sleeping children, people from all walks of life
looking and searching for missing relatives, clinging on to whatever
was left of their belongings. As we walked down further, we met more
and more troubled people, many houses (especially those made of
light materials) were destroyed, a big red tank containing molasses
(used to feed cows) in the middle of the street, a number of
policemen helping carry the dead. I counted about 10 dead bodies in
the street. I was told that many bodies were already lined up near
Rose Pharmacy, situated in the place higher than our street.
Moreover, I saw one woman
crying, asking her neighbors if they saw her daughter. There was
also a man sitting on his chair with a blank stare. I saw not only
physical destruction but also felt the psychological destruction
from this neighborhood alone. What more in the other flooded parts
of the city?
Back to our house that was
now full of mud and debris, I told myself that I will start all over
again as we lost completely everything. While my family will start
the year to rebuild the house, which will take a month or two
depending on our resources, we will also rebuild our hopes and
dreams to become a better family – which I think is clearly here
and now! Soon we will be able to buy the basic things to make the
house functional, buy things for the kids and all other basic
requirements. I said to myself that this is going to be very
difficult. But when I think of those who had to go through a more
severe psychological destruction, there is no reason for me to
complain. It is in fact a challenge to respond to.
There are thousands of
families out there still crying, still lost, still hoping their
missing family members are still alive. People are lining up for
food, medicine and water everyday. Again there is no reason to
complain, there is a lot to do even if I myself have suffered and
will suffer in the next few days.
And so just like the 2009
flooding in the city and in the province, Balay Mindanaw, which is
also our temporary home, transformed itself as a relief center for
the victims of the floods. While 10 other colleagues suffered badly
because of the floods, Balay Mindanaw resisted the idea of becoming
a victim. As our dear Dekha Ibrahim declared, “I refused to be a
victim, I am a resource.”
In the days to come, it will
still be a collective stories of despair, death, destruction and
hopelessness. But as the local people start to become resources,
things will become better. Hard hit communities will be assisted
better not only when they are hungry but hopefully as they rebuild
their homes and families. And just like any other crisis, this too
shall pass. This is not just my story and their story. It is our
shared story.
For those interested resource
in the relief efforts, you can reach Balay Mindanaw:
Balay Mindanaw Peace Center,
#53A, 12th Street, Zone 2, Upper Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City
Balay Mindanaw BDO Xavier University Branch Peso Current Account No.
1768022630
Balay Mindanaw BPI Velez Branch Dollar Savings Account No.
2044006882 swif code: BOPIPHMM
Part
2 - 8 days after …
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