More than 500 Badjao natives living on the coast of Surigao City are also asking for help after their houses were destroyed at sea due to the ravages of typhoon Odette.
“Mahirap kalagayan namin, kahit sa pagkain mahirap talaga. Kumakain kami sa umaga, sa tanghalian, wala sa hapon… Uupo lang kami,” said Anna Angelin.
From the temporary roadside residence built by 537 Badjao or 168 families, the former place where they lived can be overlooked.
It was far from their old home.
No one was killed because they followed the evacuation center early. But after the storm, they faced another challenge.
“Pagdating namin dito umiiyak na lang kami kasi wala na talaga kami makitang bahay at tsaka ‘yung mga pump boat namin, gamit namin wasak lahat,” Dahila Amad Araman, tribal leader, lamented.
Araman called for food and water because, for now, they are enduring what only the fellow victims in the city can give.
They also fear that if they stay on the side of the road, their children may be run over by passing vehicles.
People continue to flock to the mountainside in Barangay Pungtod in Alegria, Surigao del Norte to text and call their relatives.
Cebuanos struggling to recover after Odette
The people of Cebu are finding their own ways to recover from typhoon Odette.
There is still no water and electricity in some areas, and it is also difficult to withdraw money from the bank.
The queue of a bank reached as far as the Mandaue City highway.
There is still no electricity and water in large parts of the province.
So some look forward to the warehouse of mineral water companies for there to shop.
The Bureau of Fire Protection has also provided free water. In addition, they toured the town using a fire truck and filled the residents’ containers.
Some gasoline stations in the towns have also closed. Instead, the fuel will be allocated for hospital workers and telecommunication personnel.
Water and utility lines are trying to get their lines back before Christmas.
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