BY ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
GOOD NEWS! Two weeks after the onslaught of the “monstrous” typhoon “Odette” there’s now this so-called “moonshine” in southern Negros.
Though most people (rich or poor) there remain in an “indescribable” situation, power and water are back in certain areas.
Too, main roads in Cauayan, Hinoba-an, Ilog, Candoni, Kabankalan, and Sipalay (CHICKS) area are now passable.
All these are moonshine indicators that the situation is getting better and better every day. They serve as “glimmers of hope” for people in the CHICKS area.
But the “torment” is likely to last for month(s). CHICKS was horrendously “slapped” by “Odette” on Dec. 16. Its fury here is still being embossed by arrays of toppled houses, other edifices, communication towers, electrical posts, trees, rice and sugarcane crops, roads, and bridges, among others.
Highlighting then the “unquantifiable misery” in the south is the lack of potable water and total power blackout for more than a week. With a heavy heart, Gov. Bong Lacson lamented: “This is a very sad Christmas for Negros.”
Death toll in the entire Negros Island (including in the Oriental side) totaled to 114 (as of this writing). Damage to properties, infrastructures and agriculture was pegged at more than P6B. Truly heartbreaking!
It’s quite unbearable to think a “doomsday” scenario in southern Nergos during Christmas and New Year celebrations. No words can capture the remarkable blitz of “Odette” in the Visayas and Mindanao. Hence on Dec. 21, in unison with the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the governor declared the entire province under the state of calamity. He also ordered the release of P50 million as immediate assistance. The amount, bared Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II, was used in the purchase of galvanized iron (G.I.) sheets for thousands of roofless houses.
“Importante gid anay ang atop sang mga balay!”
The province is also contemplating to take charge of the ripping of all the fallen/salvaged trees. Lumbers are useful in the repair of almost 90 percent of the total houses in the CHICKS area. They’re now coordinating with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in this regard.
‘TABANG’ MOMENT
Atty. Diaz, however, said the governor is banking on the resiliency of the Negrosanons.
Speaking of recovery, there’s no timeline yet! It’ll depend on our resiliency. But with the outpouring of support from people with “golden hearts,” including foreign donors, Diaz claims, is quite overwhelming. And it’s a positive sign leading to our ultimate recovery.
Showing great concern over the “excruciating” situation in the south, President Rodrigo Duterte also visited Kabankalan and met with local officials in the CHICKS area on Dec. 20.
On the same day, through the facilitation of Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer, presidential wanna-be Bongbong Marcos (BBM) with his running-mate Sara Duterte also arrived in the province on Dec. 20 with P2-million worth of relief packs.
“More are coming,” BBM told reporters.
The following day (Dec. 21), Vice President Leni Robredo alongside actress/TV host Kris Aquino also “stormed” Kabankalan and Himamaylan.
VP Leni also met with the local leaders in the CHICKS area and some of the typhoon victims in an evacuation center in Daan Banwa, Kabankalan.
VP Leni also handed in her relief assistance to the typhoon victims in Himamaylan.
“Aahon tayo muli! Babangon tayo!” she assured everyone.
Kris, in her personal capacity, also had truckloads of relief goods for typhoon victims in Kabankalan, Himamaylan and Hinigaran.
She also gave 1,000 kilos of bottled water and 500 pieces of Smart prepared SIM cards with P100 load each.
Bacolod City’s Lone District congressman Greg Gasataya also gave 300 sacks of rice to the province.
Sen. Migz Zubiri also rushed with 450 sacks of rice and modular tents. He confided being “heartbroken” upon seeing what happened in Negros after “Odette”.
Kabankalan is Migz’s birthplace.
“Palangga ko ang taga-Negros,” he said, adding, “ That’s why in January next year, with my Assistance to Individual(s) in Crisis Situations (AICS) allocation from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), dugangan ko pa ang bulig ko sa Negros.”
“So, let’s not lose hope. Let’s pray and we’ll rise!” the senator gladdened the typhoon victims.
But what caught my attention was Migz’s appeal to the public: “Let’s set aside politics at the moment.”
True! Hence, I do hope that BBM’s, VP Leni’s and Migz’s instant presence in Negros as well as Cong. Greg’s rice donation may not be misinterpreted. CHICKS (badly) needs help.
Yes, their very act of helping is, somehow, construed (as if) with “political flavor”. But 99 percent of it, I am confident, is all about “humaneness”.
Humaneness is the “marvelous” quality of compassion for others in the midst of crisis.
ROW ON ROW
Through a command center established by Capitol at a gym in Kabankalan, all actions related to relief operations are now being corroborated and collaborated with the provincial government and CHICKS mayors.
Local and foreign donations (cash or goods) can also be coursed through the command center.
No play of “favoritism” in favor of Kabankalan, Atty. Diaz clarified amid rumors hounding the relief operations and restoration efforts. But agaw-eksena (scene stealer) amid disquiet is a row on ROW (right-of-way).
Landowners in the CHICKS area, said Atty. Diaz, are preventing the repair crew of the Sy-led National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to enter their properties to fix damaged transmission towers.
Old running legal tussle(s) on just compensation for land properties taken by the NGCP for tower construction are causing the current brouhaha. Atty. Diaz, however, appealed to the landowners, “Not this time, please!” He emphasized that row on ROW can be settled (only) in court. “And we can’t hold people hostage with the current problem.”
“Sakripisyo lang ‘ta diutay para problema masulbar,” he further appealed.
Gosh! Quite distasteful! Melee on ROW is a “misplaced” thing at this time.
And Atty. Diaz was right! Power restoration in the CHICKS area is a must – no less, no more!
HEARTWARMING
On the other hand, let’s take a bow to “Task Force Kapatid” (TFK) by Philreca (Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association).
TFK allows distribution utilities (DUs) from Iloilo to send some of their linemen to southern Negros to (really) expedite the power restoration endeavor.
As of this writing, Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (NOCECO) reported that their total energized substations and feeders in the south already summed up to 55 and 43 percent, respectively.
Hats off to NOCECO people, especially the linemen, on their focus to bring back power in the south at the soonest time possible!
But what’s heartwarming to note is the “show of unity” being demonstrated by other LGUs from northern and central Negros for their southern counterparts. So touching! Such is a vivid display of “lubos nga pag-ulikid” for Negrosanons in the CHICKS area. Hence, kudos to the northern and central Negros mayors!
Likewise, government agencies like the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine Coast Guard, Department of Health (DOH), Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Army (PA), among others, are also doing their best in easing and, probably, acing the misery.
I remember what Australian actor Chris Hemsworth had enunciated: “People who put themselves on the line and sacrifice their own safety for the greater good and for others, and anyone in any profession whose concerns is the welfare for other people instead of the individual, are inspiring and important.”
Nevertheless, for Negrsanons, “ang pag-ulikid sa isig-katawo” is one of the keys in rising above the rubbles. Above all, they’re confident that, with the present show of unity in the province, from the current moonshine, surest, sunshine to follow soonest.
So, #batonegros! #bangonnegros!/PN
