PHM-Exch> Philippines: Typhoon Pablo_Bopha from a PHM member's perspective

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Romeo Quijano <romyquij at yahoo.com>




--



For your information and reflection: Neglected Victims of typhoon Pablo
(Bopha)

After conducting a seminar related to the livelihood project of farmers in
Surigao del Sur, I joined the team of the Community-Based Health Program
for their return visit to some areas devastated by the typhoon in Surigao
del Sur and Davao Oriental. We left Tandag at 1:30 AM and we reached the
first village served by the CBHP at about 8:00 AM. Although I have seen on
television the images of destruction by the typhoon, I was still jolted by
extreme surprise and anguish upon entering the actual scene of devastation
of homes and crops. The horrible images of Hiroshima, Vietnam, and Iraq,
the aftermath of American bombing, raced through my mind. At that moment, I
felt entirely the serious harm brought about by typhoon Pablo, not only on
homes, livelihood, environment and health, but also the severe consequences
of climate change, corporate greed (mining companies, banana plantations,
etc.) and government neglect. In my internal fury, I no longer cared much
about the discomfort and numbness I had endured in more than three hours of
riding on a motorcycle called “habal-habal”. There were four of us on the
bike and I was sandwiched at the back of the driver and my co- passengers.

 Many of the victims were far from the town or village center and were not
reached by relief operations by the government, media and mainstream civic
organizations. These hinterland areas are given priorityby the CBHP and its
allied organizations, including the farmers movement in the region. Our
team also visited one of the worst affected by the typhoon in Davao
Oriental, the town of Cateel, just adjacent to the affected areas in
Surigao del Sur. The devastation was really bad, it was as if a nuclear
bomb was dropped on the area! There was complete destruction of almost all
structures and vegetation, especially the coconut trees. The town of Cateel
is the one often featured on television. Many government agencies and civic
organizations are already coming to the area, although the relief
operations are still not reaching the people sufficiently because of the
severe and extensive devastation and the lack of an efficient system of
relief operations coming from different groups.

 At about 5 PM, I left the team of Tandag CBHP and rode a bus to Davao City
to join, this time, the medical mission of BALSA Mindanao, a multi-sectoral
organization of progressive groups to help the people when calamities
strike, such as this one. Along the way, I saw more homes destroyed with no
apparent help reaching them. I reached the compound of UCCP (United Church
of Christ), the center of BALSA Mindanao in Davao, past midnight already.
Our team left the compound early morning at four, so, again, I had very
little sleep that night. We arrived at Laak, Comval at about 10 AM. The
effects of the typhoon was also evidently very severe and the area was
difficult to reach since the village roads were in very bad condition and
we also had to cross a river almost chest deep, which was possible only
because we were riding a big dump truck. We had a quick brunch before the
medical consultations and the distribution of relief goods started. There
were only two of us who were medical doctors. I was with Dr. Lynn Redoble,
my former student who has been serving full-time for the CBHP-Southern
Mindanao for more than 15 years. Most of the sick were children: cough and
colds, influenza, bronchitis, skin diseases, wounds, etc. There were two
patients who needed hospital work-up and this was a problem since BALSA
Mindanao could not afford to shoulder the expenses (assistance from the
local government and others will have to be sought). We had more than 200
patients. Acceptance of patients had to be stopped at 5 in the afternoon
since it may not be possible to cross the river going back to Davao if we
stayed late. I felt bad about this since there were still some people who
seemed to have just come from afar and who were trying to be seen by a
doctor; but the organizers said we had to leave.

 We reached UCCP Davao at about midnight. I was so tired and sleepy I went
straight to bed without taking a bath first. However, I could hardly sleep
because my coughing (which started in Surigao del Sur) worsened and because
of intense feelings and thoughts about what I have just seen and
experienced. The cocks were already crowing when I seem to have fallen
asleep, after taking my herbal medicines lagundi (Vitex negundo) and sinta
(Andrographis paniculata). I just rested the following day until it was
time for me to go the airport in Davao to catch my flight back to Manila.


For Donations:

 BALSA Mindanao

UCCP Haran House: Fr. Selga St., Madapo Hills, Davao City

Contact Person: Susan S. Claro, R.N., Executive Director, Mindanao
Christian Services Foundation

Account name: INPEACE Mindanao, Inc., Banco de Oro, SM City Davao Branch,
Davao City, Account number: 860165361, Swift Code BNORPHMM

Bank Name: Metrobank

Bank Address: Surigao City, SWIFTCode: MBTCPHMM, AccountNumber:
007‐105‐50875‐8, AccountName: BREAD Inc.

 Bank Name: Bank of the Philippine Islands(BPI)

Bank Address: Butuan City, SWIFTCode: BOPIPHMM, AccountNumber:
2221‐0003‐69, AccountName: CBHP‐Butuan,Inc.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://phm.phmovement.org/pipermail/phm-exchange-phmovement.org/attachments/20130102/37f4b026/attachment.html>