“I hope that my father is all right,” said Christnhiel Ang Bacal, a recent survivor of the Typhoon Washi in the Philippines. “He went to Manila to look for a job about two weeks ago.” Christnhiel and her family of nine have been putting up at the Kauswagan evacuation centre for almost three weeks now. Like many others, she was only told to evacuate her home just minutes before the flashfloods hit the region of Cagayan De Oro in the Philippines.
Christnhiel has been assigned a small hut in the centre no bigger than the size of a modern day office cubicle with her entire family of nine. The hut that was originally built by the community for a Christmas celebrations came in handy for the eldest of six children. Christenhiel and her family said that all that they had managed to save was already with them at the time of the flooding.
“I was told by my auntie that the riverbanks at Makasandig was about to overflow,” Christnhiel replied when asked about how she found out about the flashfloods. “By the time we reached the Kauswagan evacuation centre, the water was up to my knees.”
Christnhiel’s tale is just one of 20,000 affected population of the recent flashfloods in the Philippine. Her family is struggling to live on the little that they are allocated by the government and relief organisations like the Philippine Red Cross (PNRC).
“The pakages and the water taps the Philippine Red Cross has really helped us alot, we would have been much worse off had they not helped us out.” added Christnhiel. “We are also greatful for the help of the Singapore Red Cross too.”
As of 24 December, plans are already underway to provide more humanitarian aid to the people of the Philippines affected by the flood. Though Christmas was dampened by the floods, the overflowing of kindness and compassion to the survivors would continue providing them comfort during this festive season.
Written by : Daniel Fong
Photo by : Wong Leong Jeam
Daniel Fong was part of the first six-member team from Singapore Red Cross that headed to the Philippines on 21 December to 24 December. A second team of seven members had gone to the Philippines on 28 December.