The Aftermath

Volunteers giving out help to the people of dumaguete who were affected by Sendong

During the last month of the year 2011, a disaster came in.The typhoon called "Sendong" which came like a thief in the night and swept most of the city's properties and left only nothing but mud.The beautiful city I know was devastated and people are crying for help.

In the crash of Sendong (international name: Washi), the typhoon that swept almost entire villages in Negros Oriental and in Mindano with 1,500 death tolls and a total of 63,079 families were affected in 260 villages, 30 towns, eight cities in 13 provinces of Region VI,VII,IX,X, XI, as well as in CARAGA and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Manangement Council in Tuesday, December 13, 2011. 957 bodies were recovered and 49 were still reported missing. Agricultural land damages in Surigao del Sur were initially assessed to have wasted Php 1.55 million while Php 385,015 in the Bicol region.


In lieu to this, a group of volunteers in Dumaguete City had organized a relief operation program in order to address some of the basic needs of victims from the tragic typhoon. This group was organized by Miss Vretchy Tuballa, a Registered Nurse from Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital and her family through the enormous help from some OFWs in Perth, Western Australia. “We are  very thankful that we have Filipino friends working in Australia who sent money to help our brothers and sisters who have lost their homes, loved ones, children and livelihood. It is always fulfilling to share your blessings. It is my honor to organize this relief operation and make use of our physique, mind, body and spirit to help those in need’, she said.

The group gave out relief goods and clothings for the victims and visited all evacuation centers in the city. First stop was in Mangga Evacuation Center with nearly 50 families of evacuees and who have lost their

homes.

The second stop of the relief operation was in Batinguel Evacuation Center. More than a hundred evacuees were listed. Miss Tuballa therefore collaborated with the Social Work Personnels in order to avoid stampede and chaos during the operation. The next was in Palinpinun, Valencia, Negros Oriental. It was a heartbreaking moment to see smiling faces from people who gladly received the goods.

Eventually, the group came to the dumpsite area in Candau-ay, Dumaguete City. According to the authorities, several houses were carried over by the flood and evacuees were settled in their Barangay City Post.