OMIs humble help to Yolanda victims'

TODAY marks
the first year anniversary of Typhoon ‘Haiyan,’ known in the Philippines as
Typhoon Yolanda,” one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded, which
devastated portions of Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines.

It was the
deadliest Philippine typhoon on record, killing at least 6,300 people. ‘Haiyan’
was also the strongest storm recorded at landfall, and unofficially the
strongest typhoon ever recorded in terms of wind speed.

Among the
hardest hit areas were Biliran Island, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Cebu,
Metro Cebu, Eastern part of Iloilo, Samar, and Southern Leyte.

Days after the
devastation, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI), through the Oblate
Missionary Foundation (OMF), asked itself a question How can we be of help?”
Even without responding to its own questions, the OMIs desire to join local and
international donors in extending a helping hand had started moving.

The OMI is the
same congregation that Mindanao’s first cardinal, His eminence Orlando Cardinal
Quevedo, belonged. It has difficult missions in Mindanao.

A series of
meetings after meetings ensued and OMF team found its way to Iloilo after the
Diocese of Jaro identified an area where the Oblates can help.

Recognizing no
boundaries, the OMI met with affected families and asked them what they really
need, not what they want.

The OMF did
not hand over cash but livelihood assistance that will hopefully ease the pain
of rebuilding lives from nothing.

First,
immediate assistance to victims in Estancia and Ajuy, both in Iloilo province, making
their Christmas’ eve meaningful amid the anguish. Noche Buena” packs courtesy
of OMF helped ease the pain of celebrating Christmas empty handed.

While there,
the OMF team assessed and evaluated what it can give that was long lasting.”
The blue boat of hope” was conceptualized. Further consultations were
conducted that ended up the OMF extending work animals for upland villagers.

Beneficiaries
of livelihood assistance now said they all did not expect, much less thought
about, a religious missionary organization they have not seen or heard since
Adam would come to their rescue.

The boat
project reinforces our second chance to live decently and with dignity,” Julio
Asturias said in Filipino. Twenty-five boats were turned over in May and
another 25 in August.

Asturias, 40,
chair of Barangay Bato Biasong in the coastal town of Ajuy, was among the 50
recipients of boat of hope.”

Our
appreciation was not enough, only words of appreciation are what we can give in
return,” he said, adding that the boat assured them of daily income.

He recalled
with cracking voice in a phone interview that he thought his family could not
recover from the losses. We lost
everything, house, clothes, small fishing vessel, appliances and even our small
cash savings kept at home.”

Surviving
Yolanda gave us second life and the assistance from OMF gave us strength that
life has to go on, no matter how difficult it may be,” he added of the
assistance he described from taga Kidapawan.”

Ambot, karon
ko lang napatian, taga Kidapawan man daw (Don’t know them, only when they came
over that I learned they came from Kidapawan),” he said of the OMF.

Rea Torrico,
community facilitator of Ajuy local government, said the OMF assistance had
huge impact on indigents.

Their lives
have changed for the better since Yolanda,” she said. Now, they earn less but
slowly they are coping up,” Torrico said, adding that the calamity also taught
fisher folks to do away with illegal fishing, then rampant in Ajuy before
Yolanda.

There was a paradigm
shift of sort after Yolanda almost claim their lives, they learned the lesson
that hardest way,” she said when asked how’s peoples’ lives now.

She said
Yolanda’s fury was still fresh in fisher folks’ minds but now their lives have
improved and the OMF aid was about 70 percent instrumental in their speedy
recovery.

People are
thankful the OMF came over,” Torrico quoted Ajuy Mayor Juan Alvarez as telling
Fr. Larry de Guia, Oblate provincial superior.

Why Iloilo?
Fr. Jonathan Domingo, OMF director and chief executive officer of Notre Dame
Broadcasting and The Mindanao Cross, gave the rationale.

He said Iloilo
was equally devastated as Samar and Leyte yet national and international media
mileage were focused outside Iloilo province, thus the bulk of aid landed in
there and less in Iloilo’s coastal towns.

The OMF had
these humble assistance. Fifty boats of hope” to beneficiaries in several Ajuy
coastal communities, work animals and income generating projects to upland
villagers of Badiangan and soon similar aid to paralyzed” residents of nearby
upland Barangay Agbobolo.

Overjoyed,”
said Realyn Undar of Barangay Badiangan after she received one live carabao
that will accompany her family in rebuilding lives through farming.

Anjoe Berneza,
who received a cow from OMF, struggled to find words of appreciation. He only
managed to say Salamat, Salamat, dako gid nga bulig ni sa akon pamilya (Thank
you, this is really an enormous help to my family).”

The mission
continues. The team composed of Fr. Rito
Daquipil and Agnes Myra Pinol, NDBC regional marketing head, led the
consultations with residents and intended beneficiaries from Barangay Agbobolo.

Livelihood
assistance for them will come soonest.