Laak, Compostela Valley – After experiencing sleeping under GI sheets because of Typhoon Pablo, an elderly couple from Laak never imagined they would one day be thankful for the storm.
Rufina Gan Ongan, 82, and husband Antonio Gan Ongan, 84, used to stay in a small hut with walls made of bamboo slats and nipa roofing. After the devastation of ‘Pablo’ on December 4, 2012, nothing was left of it.
The old couple was not blessed with children. In those trying times, no one was able to take care nor look after them. They had no one but each other.
Rufina recalled how she and her husband painstakingly made a makeshift shelter using the GI sheets and lumber they collected from the debris that scattered in the neighborhood.
“Naluluha pa rin ako ‘pag naaalala ko ang aming kalagayan noong tinamaan kami ng bagyo. Sa loob ng tatlong araw, nagtatago lang kami sa ilalim ng dalawang lumang yero na pinagdugtong namin para maging korteng A. Tiniis namin ang lamig ng gabi tuwing kami ay natutulog at ang init ng araw sa umaga at hapon (It would always bring me to tears whenever I recall our situation when the typhoon hit us here. For three days, we hid under the two pieces of GI sheet propped in an A-line position. We slept on the damp soil, and endured the scorching heat during the day and the numbing coldness of the night),” Rufina sadly recounted.
Through the Modified Shelter Assistance Program (MSAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Antonio and Rufina received a permanent shelter constructed in a much safer ground in the village of Kilagding.
Three years after ‘Pablo’ wrecked their home, they now comfortably live in their new abode. The house is fully painted with concrete walls, two bedrooms and a rest room.
MSAP granted nearly 300 beautiful permanent homes in Laak. Today, the vibrant community does not show any trace of being ravaged by ‘Pablo.’
The Barangay Local Government Unit (BLGU) also donated a 400-square-meter lot for each shelter, enabling residents to cultivate plants, cash crops and vegetables, and even raise hogs or chicken.
Most of the MSAP units teem with an assortment of plants and vegetables that amaze passersby and visitors alike.
In Rufina’s garden, one will find several blooming plants of various shades and a few vegetable patches which are dwarfed by tall cassava stalks.
“Masaya ako at kami ay nagkaroon ng bahay. Hindi kami pinabayaan ng ating gobyerno (I am overjoyed that we have a house now. The government did not neglect us),” Rufina exclaimed.
Antonio is also a beneficiary of DSWD’s Social Pension and gets P500 every month which is paid every quarter through the local social welfare and development office. Rufina said it is truly a great help since Antonio could no longer walk nor hear.
“Nagpapasalamat kami sa DSWD at hindi kami pinabayaan. Nagdulot din ng magandang bagay sa amin si ‘Pablo.’ May bahay na kami ngayon na tiyak kung ligtas sa anumang kalamidad (We are very thankful that DSWD did not neglect us. The disaster that was ‘Pablo’ also brought blessings in our lives. We got a house and a sizeable lot for free and relocated to a place safe from disasters),” Rufina said.
DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman said that the Department is ready to continue providing appropriate interventions for ‘Pablo’ survivors to enable them to totally return to normalcy.
To date, a total of 18,447 shelter units has been completed in Davao Oriental and 9,086 units in Compostela Valley. Some 36,546 units will be built in these two provinces which were hardest hit by ‘Pablo.’ ###
