Oldest town in Agusan del Sur reeling from 'Pablo'

Thousands of residents of a small town in Agusan del Sur have already left the evacuation center days after Typhoon Pablo (Bopha) hit the province. Most of them, however, have no homes — and livelihood — to return to. “Almost all of the houses were totally damaged, our crops were also damaged,” Gerardo Manluctao, Veruela municipal administrator, told GMA News Online in a phone interview Friday. “Sa mga barangay, may gumawa na lang ng tent para tirhan.” A total of 7,780 households or 39, 430 people were displaced by the typhoon in Veruela, a third class municipality located 107 km from Butuan City and lies 55 km from the boundary of Compostela Valley. It is considered as the oldest town of the province. Three of Veruela's villages — Tinubong, Sta. Emilia and La Fortuna — were hit the hardest by Typhoon "Pablo." The eight people who died, including two children, have yet to be included in the official list of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) as of Friday morning.

Food, water needed Manluctao said the roads leading to Veruela are all passable but the only assistance they have received were 2,000 food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). “Ang kailangan talaga namin pagkain, walang makain ang mga tao. Pati tubig kailangan din kasi nasira na 'yung source ng tubig namin, hindi malinaw 'yung lumalabas,” he said. He said other municipalities have come to their aid by sending firetrucks containing water treated with chlorine for the use of their residents. First time As in most Mindanaoans, Typhoon Pablo, the strongest to hit the region in two decades, was Manluctao's first brush with such a cyclone. “First time since birth ko nakaranas nang ganyang bagyo. Ngayon lang. Dati kaunting hangin at ulan lang kami dito,” he said. This was also the experience of Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer Elvira Dagaraga, as narrated to Mardy Halcon of Plan International, which provides help to the affected areas. “We didn’t know what a typhoon was until we were hit last Tuesday,” she said, shedding tears as she recalled the typhoon's wrath from Monday night to Tuesday morning. “On December 3, we were informed that Typhoon Pablo would hit Veruela. That was also the time when we were all busy preparing for our town fiesta which we would have celebrated on December 8. Since the sun was up and there was no indication of rain, we proceeded in setting up our town plaza with booths to showcase our products on Saturday,” Dagaraga said. “But we also reminded people that the gymnasium would be our evacuation center just in case Typhoon Pablo hit us.” Tired from the day’s preparations, Dagaraga retreated to her bed before 11. But as she drifted to sleep, she was awakened by continuous rains and howling winds. “It rained from 11 p.m. until 2.30 a.m. Then it slowed down but only to return at 4 a.m., when rain became heavier, coupled with a tornado-like wind that caught us all off-guard. Never in my 30 years of living here had we experienced such a thing,” she said. After the storm When the rain and the wind ceased Tuesday afternoon, she faced the tremendous task of supporting all 20 villages in Veruela. As the municipal social welfare officer, people came to her for help. “Heavily distressed were our 16,000 children. Some of them can’t be reached out to since their villages remain inaccessible due to flood and fallen trees,” she said. Of the 20 villages in Veruela, only eight village heads have managed to get in touch with Dagaraga as of Wednesday. In these eight villages, totally damaged houses were estimated at 2,162 where some 3,118 families live. These people sought refuge in 12 different evacuation centers, the biggest of which was the gymnasium, which was located just beside the office of the local government. According to Dagaraga, there were about 2,200 children in various evacuation centers, 1,400 of which were five years old and below. Of this number, 215 were malnourished. Around 300 of them were six to 12 years old while the rest were in their mid-teens. Dagaraga said 42 children aged 3 to 5, and 20 children aged 6, were showing signs of distress. “These are just partial data and we expect this number to go up once we reach other villages,” she noted. Dagaraga added: “Children in evacuation centers are now suffering from cough and cold. We are also very concerned about the situation of our three pregnant women, 12 lactating mothers and two 2-day old babies who are staying at the gymnasium. Food is insufficient and the supply of clean drinking water is inadequate. The weather is very hot during the day and very cold during the night. It is not suitable for them. They might get sick, especially the babies. Our stock of rice will only suffice until this weekend.” Veruela’s main source of water is from a stream from the mountain. “The pipes that brought water to our homes were damaged, and we now rely on rain water. Water purification tablets are badly needed,” Dagaraga said. Apart from medical assistance, food and water, there is also a great need for hygiene kits and clothes. Child births during 'Pablo' Meanwhile, 17-year-old Rowena, who gave birth to a baby boy at the height of Typhoon Pablo, was thankful that no one from her family was killed or injured. But she is worried about her baby. “I gave birth while Typhoon Pablo was battering our village. Soon as my baby’s umbilical cord was cut, we were brought to a dump truck and transported to the gymnasium. I was only able to get my baby’s clothes, but none for me,” Rowena told Halcon. “I don’t think there’s still anything left as our house was swept by the flood.” Miray, 16, finds herself in the same situation as Rowena. Her two-day-old baby boy was also delivered while Typhoon Pablo was pounding Veruela. At the time of the interview with Halcon, Miray was having a headache and could barely breastfeed her baby. “We left our house before the flood water reached breast-deep,” she said. The two young mothers said they don’t know what lies ahead, but they are hoping for the best, especially for their newborns. “We want to go back but there’s nothing to go back to. Our houses were washed away, our farms are still flooded,” they said. “We don’t want our babies to stay here for long because they might get sick.” Apart from Rowena and Miray, there are also 10 lactating mothers and three pregnant women in the town's evacuation centers. Dagaraga said they have been providing extra food and milk to them. The three pregnant women were also being provided extra care, she said. “This will ensure they have enough nutrients for their babies.” “We encourage them to continue breastfeeding and we’re happy they do,” she added. For its part, Plan International in the Philippines has already deployed four Go Teams to conduct assessments in four different areas: Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Sur, Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental. “Plan is currently assessing the situation in Mindanao after Typhoon Pablo. The scale of the damage, both on lives and properties, is immense. Our biggest concern at the moment is water, sanitation and hygiene. Plan will start distribution of hygiene kits, water kits and tarpaulins in coming days,” said Carin van der Hor, country director of Plan in the Philippines. Plan launched a one-year, US$1.5M disaster response to Mindanao, specifically Iligan and Cagayan de Oro, in the aftermath of Typhoon Washi (Sendong) in December last year. Response included water, sanitation & hygiene (WASH), hygiene kits, shelter, school supplies, and disaster preparedness training to some 3,833 children in 11 villages. “We have years of disaster response experience in the country, and our response is focused on education in emergencies and child protection in emergencies. Our first response can also consist of WASH, if needed,” Ms van der Hor noted. The Philippines experience an average of 20 typhoons every year, with two or three of them devastating. Typhoon Pablo is the 16th to enter the country this year. — KBK, GMA News