TIABAW (Travails in Anguish, Burden, and Woes) : the typhoon Sendong (Washi) survivors experience

Abstract

Experience precedes learning. Typhoon Sendong killed 1,472, left 1,074 missing, and washed out 37,552 individuals on December 16-17, 2011. Thus, it taught the Cagayanons and Iliganons lessons. The survivors learned to demand not just indemnification of loss lives and damaged properties but also the cancellation of large scale mining, revocation of expansion of export-crop plantation, enforcement of log ban, implementation of disaster preparedness program, removal from office and punishment of all corrupt officials in cahoots with big business in exploiting natural resources and devastating the environment, and abolition of land conversion policy and creation of rural and urban planning by regulating the construction of subdivision, dams and other projects inimical to communities. Via phenomenological approach using focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and document analyses, this study revealed that among various organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, UNICEF, and Balsa Mindanao have responded the immediate needs of the survivors. Balsa Mindanao was popularly identified as active in doing community organizing (SOS) and coordinating with other advocacy group (SULOG). Community organizing is seen imperative especially that not all survivors received indemnifications; more than 50 families still live in evacuation centres suffering from psychosocial distress; survivors feel being used and caught in the political conflict between local and national government agencies; government response is weak and superficial as perceived; community-based disaster preparedness initiatives were not sustained; government officials viewed as culprit to environment-damaging projects were neither punished nor removed from office; and the investigation tracing the instigators of Sendong has never been pursued hence large mining, export-crop plantation expansion, logging, land conversion, dams and other projects continue to threaten communities. The current embargo on community organizing work particularly in the evacuation and relocation areas is highly regarded as anti-people, unlawful, and immoral.

Key words: Travails in anguish, burden and woes, Typhoon Sendong survivors