The Good News

MANILA, Philippines—In the past, they were on the receiving end of assistance. This time, it was the turn of Bicolanos to repay kindness with kindness.

Inhabitants of Bicol towns ravaged three years ago by killer Typhoons “Milenyo” (international codename: Xangsane) and “Reming” (Durian) found themselves in an unfamiliar position after their storm-prone region was spared the wrath of Tropical Storm “Ondoy” (Ketsana) and Typhoon “Pepeng” (Parma).

Now, in a truly Filipino display of reciprocity, or “utang na loob,” Bicolanos are offering a helping hand to residents of Metro Manila badly hit by Ondoy.

“It’s our turn to return the generosity of those who helped us before,” said Rodel Batocabe, a lawyer and president of Ako Bicol Foundation, citing the “overwhelming response” of Bicol to Metro Manila’s call for assistance.

The Ako Bicol Caravan, composed of more than 30 cars, three trucks filled with donations, 10 dump trucks, and two dredgers, rolled into evacuation centers in Metro Manila and Rizal on Monday morning, bringing with them an assortment of food and supplies for typhoon victims.

A 50-member team of volunteers came along to help dredge canals and waterways and to clean up the muddy streets in two cities and two towns for the next two days.

Team of doctors

A small group of Bicolano doctors also volunteered their services to aid the injured.

“This has really brought out the best in the Bicolano,” Batocabe said, noting that even though the Bicol region had not completely recovered from the damage wrought by past typhoons, residents still spared their precious pesos to help out.

“Along the way, ordinary people in slippers would throw plastic bags with sardines or instant noodles or used clothes into our trucks,” he said.

“It was touching because these are things they still need for themselves but they are giving them away,” Batocabe said.

He said many Bicolanos felt fortunate that their towns were spared the impact of Ondoy and Pepeng, which wreaked havoc elsewhere in neighboring regions.

“It’s better to be in a position to give than to receive,” he said. “From our experience with typhoons, we were always the ones receiving help instead of giving it. But this time, we can help.”

On Monday, the Bicol caravan visited evacuation centers in Taytay town in Rizal province, Novaliches in Quezon City and Marikina City, three of many stops in their two-day itinerary around the metropolis, said Annie Sumanga, spokesperson of the group.

‘Banig’

The group gave away more than P1 million worth of relief goods, including banig (mats), blankets, brooms, bottled water, canned food, instant noodles and coco lumber, Sumanga said.

Most of these relief items were collected from radio stations and other drop-off points, including Ako Bicol’s headquarters in Barangay Bónot, near the Port of Legazpi City.

The rest was collected along the way, as the motorcade made its way around Bicol toward Metro Manila.

“The people were running along the trucks. Some would throw noodles; others would throw used clothes that are still wearable,” Sumanga said.

Overwhelming response

In Albay alone, donations from people in the streets filled two-and-a-half trucks, Batocabe said. “The response was overwhelming,” he said.

As a result, the original target of 2,000 family-beneficiaries was raised to 5,000, he said.

Jocey Valdenor, another Ako Bicol leader, said the target areas are Barangays Tumana and Tangka in Marikina; Bicol Compound in Barangay Bagbag, Novaliches; Barangay San Juan in Taytay, Rizal, and an unspecified location in Los Baños, Laguna.

Valdenor said the relief effort was organized by Ako Bicol, Sunwest Care Foundation, Rotary Club of Central Legazpi, Legazpi Jaycees, Tektone Foundation, the local government of Legazpi, dzGB, Bombo Radio Legazpi, among other government and nongovernment organizations.

Batocabe said the group would lend their trucks and heavy equipment along with 50 volunteers who would be staying to help dredging waterways and cleaning up the streets in the next few days.

In September 2006, the Bicol region, particularly Sorsogon province, was among several areas hit the hardest by Milenyo that killed almost 200 people and destroyed billions of pesos worth of agricultural crops and infrastructure.

In November of the same year, the region bore the brunt of Reming, which killed up to 1,000 people, mostly in Albay villages crushed by mudslides and boulders from the slopes of Mayon Volcano.

“More or less we’re already experienced in disasters,” Batocabe said.

“We know what is needed after a typhoon. We know what to bring and how we can help out from relief to rehabilitation,” he said.

‘Reming’s’ wrath: 250-truck caravan

Supertyphoon Reming battered the Bicol region and other parts of Luzon with winds of 190 kilometers per hour. It toppled trees and electric posts, causing power outage throughout Bicol and Marinduque.

Reming’s heavy rains also caused mud and rocks to tumble down from Mayon Volcano, burying houses up to their rooftops. Farmlands in Quezon, Batangas, Laguna, Rizal, Mindoro Occidental, Marinduque and Romblon were also badly hit.

The supertyphoon left at least 734 dead, 2,360 injured and 762 missing. Over 700,000 families were also affected by flooding in 14 provinces with an estimated damage to agriculture and infrastructure totaling P5.4 billion.

A state of calamity was declared in the provinces of Albay, Marinduque and Camarines Sur. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo eventually declared a national state of calamity to speed up the release of funds and help the affected provinces recover.

On Dec. 12, 2006, the Palace sent off a caravan of some 250 trucks laden with P200-million worth of relief goods for the typhoon-ravaged Bicol region. Included in the convoy were carpenters, linemen, masons, clearing crews and doctors. Inquirer Research