MANILA, Philippines – After 9 days of rain, a family seeking refuge finds hope from a poor man offering his home. Paterno Esmaquel reports.
Marikina resident Julie Araja sees the city as a cold uncaring place – she didn’t expect to find help here or anywhere. When the nearby Tumana River rose due to continuous rain, it was a poor family that sheltered her along with her 6 children.
JULIE ARAJA, MARIKINA RESIDENT: ‘Yung mga bata nga, naglolokohan eh, yung mga malalaking bahay diyan: “Katok tayo sa malalaking bahay.” “Ano ka, kung gusto niyang tumulong, lalabas iyang sila. Iyon nga, yung tagarito ang nag-offer sa amin. Siguro yung kapwa mo, pareho ang sitwasyon.
The man who opened his doors to them is Allan Mateo. He lives in Sitio Payong, a poor village in the middle of posh enclaves like La Vista and Loyola Grand Villas. His house is a not mansion… but is big enough to help strangers shivering in the rain.
ALLAN MATEO, SITIO PAYONG RESIDENT: Noong nakita ko talaga sila, naawa ako sa mga bata, dahil mga giniginaw yung bata, walang damit, basa sila.
Mateo is active in church, and considers it a duty to help others despite his own poverty.
ALLAN MATEO, SITIO PAYONG RESIDENT: Hindi ko na inisip yon eh, na mahirap na nga, tutulong pa sa iba. Kahit mahirap, hindi ko na inisip yung gano’n. Tutal pare-pareho naman tayong mahihirap, eh di magtulungan na lang din kung anong meron diyan.
Like the family he entertained, up to 260,000 persons remain displaced by the monsoon rain that flooded Metro Manila for over three days. Thousands of volunteers also come to their aid, like 12,000 Bilibid inmates who skipped a meal to donate food to flood victims. While tragedy hits both the rich and poor, bayanihan, or the spirit of community, knows no class.
Paterno Esmaquel, Rappler, Manila
– Rappler.com
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