It has been four days since Typhoon Sendong devastated many parts of Visayas and Northern Mindanao. Though these areas suffered severe loss, nothing compares the destruction that befell on Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City. Massive flash floods and mudslides swept several barangays in these cities in the wake of midnight, the angry water running for several kilometers, trampling houses and homes on its path. As of the latest tally, at least 950 people are reported dead while at least 450 are still missing.
Unidentified cadavers are presently placed in an open dumpsite in Cagayan de Oro for grieving families to claim. According to reports, local governments are contemplating on performing mass burial for the unclaimed corpses, possibly in the public cemeteries. This will eliminate the foul odor coming from the decaying bodies.
Yesterday, Pres. Aquino was criticized for attending the PSG (Presidential Security Guard) Christmas party in the midst of the great catastrophe in Mindanao and Visayas. Though the President insisted that he just “passed by” the party, many still saw this action as unethical and insensitive of him as the country’s leader. The theme in the mass this morning befits him, “Ang moral na kamatuoran diha sa politika ug diplomasya” (The moral truth in politics and diplomacy). Well, the President made amends as he visited the areas today. Seeing him personally assisting the relief missions had greatly uplifted the spirits and hopes of the victims.
Many agencies are still accepting donations for the people of the affected areas in Mindanao and Visayas. Some of them are the following (external link is highlighted):
Iligan City Government
Account Name: City Treasurer’s Office Iligan City
Trust Fund # 0820-016201-030
Bank Name: DBP (Development Bank of the Philippines), Iligan City
Account Name: City Treasurer’s Office Iligan City
Trust Fund # 0820-016201-030
Bank Name: DBP (Development Bank of the Philippines), Iligan City
Though Typhoon Sendong has gone out of the country, its damages remain unfixed – the leveled land once joyful with homes, the ruined fields once pregnant with trees and crops, and most importantly, the sorrowful hearts once filled with bliss and thankfulness. The images and footages we see in mass media are truly heart-breaking and overwhelming. Let us continue to help the victims, and pray for the peaceful rest of the dead and for the loved ones left behind to find it in their hearts hope, joy, and reasons to move on with their lives.
Images Source: World Disaster's FILE
Related Post: The Rage of Typhoon Sendong
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