The Struggles and The Scars Left by Typhoon Sendong’ s Wrath

Five years had passed, after the known to be -the deadliest typhoon that hits Philippines in the last three years, left Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City, wounds that are not yet healed, and if ever healed but with scars of anger, pain and struggles.

Days just unfold so quickly, gone is horrible night full of screams and frights.Gone are echoes calling for help, gone are the echoes of cries, gone are big splash of water.The water which turned houses into pieces, the water that ate lives, the water that brings doom to the villages, to the people who were in a moment of peace and tranquility sleeping in each happy abode.

Such happy abode turned into ashes, as they were uprooted violently of the water's wrath. Such decayed human bodies and animal bodies turned into ashes, as they were buried into a mass grave for the city run out of caskets and the city was filled with stench, that may risk the people's health.

How is Iligan City after that doom's day ?

Life must go on,the people of Iligan City especially the victims, must put this into their minds. But this is just easy to say for those who are not affected of it. For those who are affected, the struggles and the pain brought by the tragedy is not easy to forget and they could not just simply move on. Until now there are families who are in the evacuation centers and in the so-called " tent city ". Can you imagine how hard it is to be in the tent city ? It is very difficult especially to the families whose chance to have their own tent is quite impossible.Don't you know that there are two families sharing in one tent ?

Two families sharing in one tent is unbelievable, but this is the reality.How about the need of privacy ? No matter how close you are to the other family you live with in the tent, you still need to have privacy.Just like when you want to change clothes, want to relax, want to touch and have an intimate time with your partner, husband or wife.They can't do anything about this, since they have no choice. The tents provided by the government and the NGO's ( Non-Government Organization) are not enough. If you look at these tents, they are very close to each other and it seemed so crowded.Most of the Sendong victims, are couples with 3 or more children. So, you can see children loitering around. It seems an area of poor sanitation.Once cleanliness is not maintained, illness due to lack of sanitary measures is likely to appear.

Some other victims of this tragedy have decided to return to their places regardless of being homeless.They start anew.Shanties begin to sprout in the river banks which is solely affected by the flood,which is a flood-prone area. They put themselves to danger again.Victims from the Orchids Home,the village which was directly affected by flood, whose houses are washed out, discern to stay back for may reasons.The main reason you could possibly think of, is that they have no choice.Another reason is they purchase their houses through a housing loan / salary loan, and they have to continue to pay it regardless of the disaster.Though it is unreasonable to think but it is the policy of the firm who grants housing loans.

Whether building a home again or reconstruct what is left by Sendong, still it cost not only time , money and effort but feelings. The feelings of being hurt, reminiscing someone in the family is lost, died, missing , and unknown.When you are back into the place where you put up your dreams with your love ones, the memory of it suddenly flashes back and here you are again, in the same place, starts again without the person/s you love .The pain is unbearable. Purchasing things again to use in the household is what the victims are gradually doing, because they could not purchase it all at once.

How about the poorest of all the poorest ? How could they start all over again? That even to the next meal they have to worry about.....what if donations run out ? Relief goods and food are even insufficient to all the victims.Until when will people donations last? Until when will the people and charity institutions help the poor victims? How about the victims, until when will they stop relying for all this stuff of relief? The government had promised them a relocation site,but where is it now ? Where are the funds given by the World Bank ? Where are the funds given by other sponsors?

These questions remain unanswered, a lot of concerned- people are puzzled .Nowadays, if you try to interview the victims of their horrible experience they will vividly relate or narrate everything with teary eyes because until now, the pain, the struggles and the scars left by Sendong 's wrath remained.