Pasay City – Rowena Duenas, 40, was all smiles as she partakes with the two-piece chicken and adobo rice toppings handed to her by a volunteer after disembarking from the C130.
Rowena, a native of Palo, Leyte is among the evacuees of Typhoon Yolanda who arrived today at the Villamor Airbase from Cebu City.
Rowena arrived together with her husband, six children and a sister.
When asked how she feels now that her family is out of typhoon-ravaged Tacloban, she said, “Gumaan ang pakiramdam ko. (I feel relieved).”
“Nung Linggo (November 10), umalis kami sa Palo at naglakad ng halos apat na oras papuntang Tacloban airport upang magbakasakali makasakay sa C130. Wala kaming dalang mga gamit o damit dahil natangay lahat ng tubig. (We left Palo on Sunday and walked for almost four hours to get to Tacloban airport hoping to get a flight via C130. We had nothing with us because everything was lost),” she recounted.
Rowena said that they were able to board the C130 only on Wednesday and without their knowledge the C130 was bound for Cebu City.
They stayed at the Mactan Airbase for two nights until they luckily boarded the flight to Manila on Friday.
She said they were given relief goods while at the Mactan Airbase. Thus, when they boarded the C130, they carried with them three bags of relief items and their clothes were all new.
After two hours of waiting at the Villamor Airbase, Rowena’s family was fetched by her relatives. Five of them will stay with a sister in Taguig while the rest will stay with another sister in Las Pinas.
She plans to stay in Manila for a while, probably about a year, before going back to Tacloban. In the meantime, she will open a small “carinderia” to start life anew.
Joint efforts
Various national government agencies and non-government organizations have joined efforts to assist evacuees like Rowena.
An Operation Tulong Express tent was set up beside the Villamor Grandstand where the arriving evacuees are assisted.
As soon as evacuees arrive at the airport, personnel of the Philippine Airforce General Hospital, members of the Philippine Airforce Ladies Club and SM Foundation and volunteers are ready to hand them lunch packs and bottled water.
Evacuees who need immediate medical attention are attended to by volunteer-doctors and nurses.
The Department of Health and HandMaids of the Lord, an NGO, are also providing stress debriefing.
Smart Communications and Globe Telecoms also offered free calls.
Temporary Refuge
A DSWD Help Desk manned by Social workers from the DSWD-National Capital Region (NCR) was set up to assess the needs of the typhoon victims and assist their reunification to their relatives and loved ones. Social workers would contact their relatives and arrange for transportation that would bring them to their relatives’ places.
Evacuees who are waiting for their relatives as well as those who have no relatives will be taken to DSWD centers and institutions such as the Jose Fabella Center (JFC) in Mandaluyong, Reception and Study Center for Children (RSCC) in Quezon City and Haven for Women in Muntinlupa City. Others will be also be accommodated by NGOs. ### (November 18, 2013)