ORION, Bataan – Some 70 families in this town rendered homeless by Typhoon Glenda remained in evacuation centers on Monday, praying that government and Good Samaritans will help them rebuild their lives.
Orion Mayor Antonio Raymundo said the remaining displaced families came from the coastal villages of Sta. Elena, Daan Pare, Camachille and Puting Buhangin, part of 1,900 families evacuated during the height of the typhoon last Wednesday.
“Nagpapasalamat kami na walang nasaktan o namatay. So far, naibibigay namin ang pangangailangan nila sa pagkain. Pinag-iisipan pa namin kung paanong matutulungan na muling maitayo ang mga bahay na nawasak,” the Orion mayor said.
He said that affected were 11 coastal villages out of 23 barangay. “Marami ring nasira at nawalan ng bangkang pangisda,” Raymundo said. The mayor said he ordered a house-to-house census to fully assess the situation.
Fishermen living at a beach below a cliff adjacent to Manila Bay recalled how giant waves destroyed their houses Wednesday morning. “Kasalukuyan naming itinatas ang aming mga gamit sa gulod nang dumating ang lampas-taong alon at salpukin ang aming bahay. Wala kaming naisalbang appliances at damit,” said 46-year-old Crisanto Cabiling.
Virginia Raymundo, 70, said she ran towards the elementary school and learned that her hut was blown away. Shela Arufo, 38, said waves as big as a house turned their dwelling upside down. Cabiling wished that he would be given assistance to rebuild his house. “Sa tabi-tabi lang kami natutulog,” the fisherman said.
Raymundo has a simple wish: “Gusto ko maipaayos ang kubo ko dahil matanda na ako. Kahit pako, lawanit sana matulungan ako,” the old woman pleaded. Arufo wanted to be out of their present location. “Sana mabigyan kami ng ibang lugar na mapagtatayuan ng bahay pero malapit din sa dagat dahil sa pangingisda ang buhay namin,” the woman said.
Children and teenaged girls and boys were left at the evacuation centers while their parents were working on building even huts, making use of materials salvaged from the destroyed ones. They said their parents stay with them in the evacuation center during the night.
“Kailangan namin ng tirahan at mga kagamitan. Matulungan sana kami upang makapagsimula uli,” said Cristina Cabiling, 16 and Jay Montejo, 22
