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Pinoy Abroad

GMA News' Kara David connects with Pinoys in Japan, a year after deadly quake

By ROSE-AN JESSICA DIOQUINO, GMA News

Nearly a year after the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami that claimed almost 15,000 lives in Japan, GMA News TV host Kara David went there to document how Filipino migrants are coping with the tragedy. David, a presenter and writer of GMA Network's long-running documentary show "I-Witness," told GMA News Online on Friday that the Filipino victims are still in “pre-fabricated” temporary shelters” that resemble container vans. Presented by GMA News and Public Affairs in collaboration with Japanese network TV-Iwate, David's documentary “Pagsibol sa Japan” will be shown on February 27 after “Saksi.” The special documentary will also be aired on Sunday Night Box Office (SNBO) on GMA-7 on March 11, a year after the earthquake and tsunami.   While construction is under way in the devastated areas, Japan has not completely risen from the tragedy and is “still trying to rebuild the country again,” David noted.   Despite this, she quickly noted that our kababayans “are okay and they’re very, very strong,” with a deeper sense of community and compassion.   “Mas strong ‘yung community nila. Dati daw hindi sila nag-uusap usap. Pero ngayon, after the tsunami, parang mas nabuo ‘yung mga Filipino organizations,” she said. “Parang naramdaman nila ‘yung bayanihan, saka ‘yung sense of community, naging alive again.”  

David also said the Filipinos are “taken care of,” with continuous support from the Japanese government.   “Yung mga walang trabaho, binigyan ng insurance or hinanapan ng trabaho, ‘yung mga walang wala talagang insurance, in-employ ng Japanese government para mag-separate ng rubble… Everyone is taken care of. Regular pa rin ‘yung relief goods, every season,” she said.     ‘Mountain of debris’   In the middle of one of Japan’s coldest winters, David walked through the devastation in Iwate and Miyagi, two of the three prefectures that were seriously affected by the tsunami — an experience that she said humbled her immensely.   She recounted how Rikuzen Takata became a city that was reduced to a “mountain of debris” neatly piled along a long strip of road.   “Napanood ko naman ‘yung tsunami [kasi] nagpadala tayo ng reporter doon, pero hindi ko na-imagine na ganu’n pala ‘yung devastation,” she said. “Pagdating namin du’n, they said, ‘This is Rikuzen Takata.’ Ang sabi ko, ‘Where?’ It was all snow, para siyang desert… as in nabura lahat!”     “Akala ko nu’ng time na ‘yun nakita ko na lahat ng trahedya pero ‘di ako nakapag-prepare sa trahedyang ito. Nakakaloka talaga siya; it was just overwhelming,” she added.   One of her Filipino interviewees, Vicky Gile, could only take video footage of her house as it was swept away on March 11, 2011.   “Actual niyang nakita kung paano nilamon ng tsunami ‘yung kaniyang bahay… Umakyat siya sa isang building, sa bubong. Tapos segundo lang daw, minuto lang daw, dumating na ‘yung flood tapos nakita niya ‘yung bahay niya, nawala before her eyes. Wala siyang nagawa kundi kuhanan na lang ng video ‘yung bahay niya,” David shared.   Miracle tree, banners of hope   However, Filipinos like Gile are still full of hope, primarily because of the fact that their lives were spared.   “In that moment daw, pasalamat pa rin daw siya kasi at least buhay siya saka ‘yung anak niya,” David said. “Sobra siyang na-depress about it, pero naka-find pa rin siya ng hope kasi wala daw nagtulakan [sa evacuation centers]—they were very, very disciplined. Even the Japanese were contented with one lagok of water.”   With their silent resilience, the Japanese also lifted their spirits through banners and flags bearing the words “kitzuna” (which means “unity”) and “gambare (which David loosely translated as “rise up, let’s do this”).   “Laging merong ganu’n—may maliit na karatula, flag, [or] sign [na] nakasulat ‘yung mga words na ‘yun,” David said. “May makikita kang building na sobrang destroyed na, pero may flag na puti, nakasulat ‘Kitzuna, gambare Iwate.’”     In Rikuzen Takata, a resort city once known for its beautiful pine trees, the residents find strength in the lone tree that remained after the tsunami.   “There’s a miracle tree that everyone goes to… talagang kinakapitan nila for hope kasi [for them], it shows that ‘Okay, God took all these material things away from us, pero He left one tree for us, so ibig sabihin lang nito, we can rebuild this and we can rise again,’” David shared.   For family   Asked about the Filipinos’ reasons for staying in Japan despite the dangers, David was quick to echo their singular response: family.   Most of the Filipinos in the devastated areas are women married to Japanese men. Many of them are supporting their relatives in the Philippines, David said.   She also told GMA News Online about Sally Murakami, one of these Filipino women, who chose to stay with her husband despite a growing desire for safety and company in the Philippines.   “But she realized na if she goes home and brings their child, maiiwan ‘yung asawa niya doon tapos araw-araw din niyang iisipin,” David said. “Sabi niya, ‘Tinawag mo pa ang sarili mo’ng Pilipino kung iiwanan mo lang ang pamilya mo. Hindi kilala ang Pilipino na iniiwanan ang kaniyang pamilya sa gitna ng trahedya.’”     Lessons   David expressed her hope that for everyone will learn from the Japanese experience, particularly in disaster preparedness and management.   “Hindi natin mapipigilan ‘yung pagdating ng kalamidad kasi nandu’n tayo sa isang lugar na talagang dadayuhin tayo ng mga tsunami, lindol, bagyo. Pero hindi ibig sabihin na por que helpless tayo—por que inevitable ‘yung pagdating ng mga kalamidad na ‘yan—wala na tayong magagawa para ma-lessen ‘yung risk,” she said. “At malaking bagay na lahat tayo may compassion towards other people… Ang susi sa anumang trahedya ay nasa atin din naman—‘yung pagtutulungan. Wala tayong ibang kakapitan kundi Panginoon at isa’t isa. [That was the] big lesson para sa mga Filipino sa Japan,” she added. - VVP/HS, GMA News  
Tags: karadavid, japan, pinoysinjapan, fukushima
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