By Maritoni L. Saberon | Project Officer
Three days before the anniversary of the catastrophe that befell Region VIII in the Philippines, the couple Jenelyn and Eugenio reminisced the day which they thought was the apocalypse. They recalled how the family survived Haiyan’s wrath, thanking God for a new chance at life.
“Bisperas pa lang sa bagyo, nagpunta na kami sa simbahan . Pag-abot sa bagyo, halos kami lahat gikulbaan adto na time kay makusog- kusog jud ang hangin, nabatian jud namo. Labi na sa pagsaka sa tubig, naglisod jud mi, di jud namo alam kung asa mi manggawas, asa kami ma safe. Nangita mi og paraan kung asa ibutang among mga anak, labi na akong mga anak li- lima purya buyag, mao nang akong asawa naghimo- himo kung asa mi makasaka kauban ang mga tawo. Nangalisang ang mga tao didto sa taas kung paano sila makaluwas, kay ang tubig man parang sapa na nag-awas, ningtaas ang tubig, kami lahat nag-iyakan. Kaya nakaingon ko na kita tanan ayaw paghinilak , mag- ampo kita na muhunong na. Intawon Ginoo ko kung kuhaon man mi nimo, ora mismo ayaw na mi paantusa (We evacuated to the nearest church on the eve of the typhoon. When it came, we were frightened because of the strong wind especially when the water rose, we did not know where to exit and where we can be safe. We looked for ways on how to keep our five children safe that’s why my husband and the others innovated a ladder so that we could go up to the ceiling through a hole. People panicked because the flood was a flowing river rising up which heightened the deafening cries of everyone. I told everyone not to cry anymore but to pray that the deluge will stop. I thought to myself, “Lord, if You take us now, please do it right away. Do not prolong the agony.),” Jenelyn, a housewife and laundrywoman said in an interview.
When the water subdued, they were shocked at the number of dead bodies on the streets. They got immune to the foul smell everywhere. The challenge, however, was how they could make it through when everything they had was gone. They had nothing to eat for three days so Eugenio was forced to join other victims in looting food items from a store. He got biscuits and noodles which helped them survive. Sodas which floated on the streets became their water. “We thrived on biscuits, noodles, and soda for a week before relief goods arrived,” he said.
After the storm, the family worked on rebuilding their house using wood that they picked up from torn down houses. Used tarpaulins were walls and heavy pieces of wood were put on top of the galvanized iron roofing so that it will not be blown away should the heavy wind come back.
With the temporary house in place, Eugenio resumed to driving a pedicab from which he earns barely seven dollars a day to feed his family. His wife, Jenelyn, does other’s laundry for a fee to help make ends meet. Both are just thankful that with the new day care center that was established in their area, their youngest child, Jerwin, 4 years old, receives preparatory school training for free including school supplies that the Children’s Joy Foundation, Inc. and Global Giving collaborated to do as part of their restoration program for the typhoon victims. “Bisan ing - ani lang mi, ma pobre ipakita namo sa ila na mapa eskwela namo sila og maayos kay gusto ko magkaroon sila maupay na trabaho pagdako nila (Even if we are poor, we would like to show our children that we can send them to school so that they can have good jobs when they grow up),” Jenelyn shared how important education is for her. She happily said that her son has improved in the day care center, participating in class discussions and school activities. She is grateful for the day care center that was built for their children- their second home.
“Maraming salamat sa Children’s Joy Foundation at sa Global Giving sa tulong na naibigay nyo po sa amin. Lalong- lalo na po sa pag- aaral ng aming anak. Laking tulong po ang Day Care Center dahil nagkaroon ng lugar kung saan sila makapag- aral ng maayos. At sa mga school supplies din na ibinigay nyo , na instead pambili para gamit nila sa school ay ibinili nalang namin ng pagkain. Kung baga naka save kami sa budget. Sana pagpalain pa kayo ng Panginoon para marami pa kayong matulungan. Maraming – maraming salamat po (Thank you so much Children’s Joy Foundation and Global Giving for helping us especially in the education of our child. It is a big help to have a day care center where our children can learn in a conducive environment. Thank you for the school supplies that you provided which help us save the budget for food instead. I wish that God will continue to bless you so that you can help more people who badly need it. Thank you very much.),” Jenelyn said with a smile.
Typhoon Haiyan may forever be etched in the minds of its victims. Trace of pain may still be felt at times for the loss of loved ones, but, the Haiyan survivors are determined to move on finding hope in the selfless act of goodness of people who truly care for them. Thank you so much for your help. With your donations, we were able to build six day care centers in the typhoon-hit areas as part of our restoration program. More learning facilities will be built in the coming years so your continuous support will help more destitute children get an early education for free.
By Maritoni L. Saberon | Project Officer
By Maritoni L. Saberon | Project Officer
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