Tabang Agusan: Journey of 9 Carolinians Part 2

Anywhere you nail your vision on, you would see Pablo’s repercussions: big, sturdy trees bowed, verdant mountains denuded, rivers clogged with giant logs, rice paddies and cornfields ravaged, houses dislocated, and the list could go on and on and on. It was a lovely morning with the sun shining so sprightly as ever, but I didn’t believe it was lovely day at all for the local dwellers. Despite this unforgiving scene of destruction along the road, we had to head on to our destination.

Arriving at the parish of Loreto, we were greeted by resident Fathers Viet and Benoy. We then helped local parishioners load the goods to the pedicabs. These goods will be brought to the riverside, from which, they will be freighted on board a motorboat that will cruise through Umayam River for one hour before finally arriving at the target destination of Brgy. Katipunan, a river community of some 300 families.

Rumors about crocodile attacks were in the air as the boat glided through the waters of Umayam, but then again, we were not there for the crocodiles so I tried hard to let the negative thoughts pass. At the moment, we were more concerned about getting there with our goods unharmed. And finally, after 60 minutes of boating, we reached our destination. The house of stilts, the mud that engulfed their domiciles, their only school that surrendered to flood, these are my memories of Brgy. Katipunan.

I promised not to be largely affected by, or worse, cry upon hearing their stories. But no professional being will stay unmoved by the stories these people had shared to me. In fact, the very physical appearance of their place was in itself a story already from which one could easily deduce the struggles these poor families had been in their entire ordeal with Pablo.

Believe it or not, a teary-eyed mother welcomed me with a hug, saying “Salamat, salamat” over and over. She became even happier to know that a Cebuano like me had reached their little place to help in this operation. Another mother shared how she tried to save her four little children from the flashfloods. Umayam River produced great flashfloods that sneaked into their residences on that stormy day, fortunately, killing no one from the neighborhood.

I chanced upon the barangay captain for an interview and he said that their main necessities up until these moments were food, medicine and how their locals could rehabilitate. I understood what he meant by this when I saw destroyed nipa huts around. “We badly need materials to start repairing our houses. Others completely lost everything, owing to the flashfloods; we really need help.”

He even went on to say that up until now, the school has not resumed classes yet since evacuees had nowhere else to stay. Above all, the residents of Brgy. Katipunan were in dire need of fresh new corn seeds and palay so they could build their lives again. In this river barangay, people depend on fishing and farming for their livelihood. I took the time to jot down all these necessities on my notepad in the hope that those who will read this and have something to offer might help in their own special ways.

But speaking of the special, our special gifts to the people of Brgy. Katipunan at this point had already been distributed. For the day, each family received a sack of rice, some noodles, canned goods, a blanket and a pail. As they lined up taking their turns in receiving the little blessings, I couldn’t help again but be emotionally touched to see them smile, and knowing that we were the reason behind that smile.

In a place so desolate, so unvisited, so unrecognized, the sight of people flashing with smiles on their faces amid the whole picture of destruction in their backyards conquered the last space of happiness in my own heart. And I couldn’t be more grateful to leave Brgy. Katipunan that day, knowing how in one way or another, I, Bro. Errol and the entire team had shared a piece of ourselves to these people.

The journey began as something uncertain, and as we were warned, difficult. But we will all go back to our own families in Cebu and to our classrooms in the University of San Carlos, sending the message to our families, friends and classmates that on the other side of our country, people still need their houses built, their farms planted, their lives restored.