Leyte: A home before Christmas

LeAnne Jazul

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72 families in Palo, Leyte, will be spending Christmas in new bunkhouses

REBUILDING. Arsenio Brente builds his own house. All photos by Rappler/LeAnne Jazul

LEYTE, Philippines – It’s two days away from Christmas. For survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) it’s never too late to make a wish. Or to see some wishes come true.

At least 72 families affected by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) will be spending Christmas in their newly built but temporary bunkhouses that were handed over to them by President Benigno Aquino II.

Located in Barangay Kalipayan in Tacloban and Barangay Candahug in Palo, the bunkhouses, once completed, will be able to shelter 908 families, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The government will allow them to stay in the temporary shelter for a short period until they are able to rebuild their houses or opt to transfer to a permanent relocation site located in Barangay Old Cawayan –12 kilometers away from the city. It’s quite a distance from the schools of their children as well as their work places. 

WAITING FOR PNOY. Government workers position themselves to catch a glimpse of the President during the turnover ceremony.

January 6 deadline

In the city center, however, about 331 families continue to stay at the Rizal Central School and have been given until January 6 next year to leave the school premises.

According to the evacuees, most of them will not be able to return to their original communities for lack of money to rebuild their homes. Some of them had also been lviing within the “no-build zones” and are now barred from entering the area.

The no-build zone is a 40-meter easement – like a right of way – in the coastal communities in the entire eastern seaboard of Eastern Visayas. The P347-million project of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources aims to restore the mangrove and natural beach forests in coastal areas severely hit by Yolanda. 

IN DIRE SITUATION. Evacuees inside the Rizal Central School.

Jonathan Espera, 36, once lived in that no-build zone. A government contractual employee, he found himself squatting anew after Yolanda destroyed his house and he had to build a new one in a private lot 12 meters away from his former home in Barangay 31 Pampanggo, Tacloban City. He said he had no choice: his family had a tough time living in the evacuation center.

“Kung papaalisin kami dito aalis kami pero huwag naman sana kaming ilipat dun sa plano ng gobyerno na relocation area sa Old Cawayan. Mahirap ‘dun. Walang kuryente at malayo sa eskwelahan ng mga bata. Mahirap pa mag-byahe, mataas ang pamasahe,” Espera said. (If the government has to relocate us, I hope it would not be in the planned relocation site in Old Cawayan. It has no electricity and is very far from the schools of our children. Transportation is costly.)

Espera was able to raise money to build his new house by participating in the cash-for-work program of a foreign NGO. He said that without it his bonus of P3,000.00 would not have been sufficient.    

HOME AWAY FROM HOME. Jonathan Espera points to where he used to live before Yolanda.

“Nakakalungkot isipin na dati tuwing pasko kami ang inaasahan ng mga bata dito sa Barangay 31 na magbibigay sa kanila ng aguinaldo. Ngayong pasko kami ang umaasa na mabibigyan kami pero ano naman ang aasahan namin sa mga katulad din namin na nasalanta? Mahirap din asahan ang gobyerno kasi mas inuuna nila yung awayan nila sa pulitika.” Espera adds. (It’s a sad thought: we used to give away gifts to children in our barangay during Christmas. Now it’s the other way around. But what can we look forward to? It’s difficult to depend on government because it seems they’re focused on fighting over politics.)

Unlike Espera, Arsenio Brente, 46, was spared from having to rebuild a house. But he is disgusted at the government’s handling of the relocation of families whose houses were destroyed or damaged by the super typhoon. “Ni-isang de-unong pako wala kaming natatanggap. Buti na lang nagbigay yung isang foundation ng P15,000.00 sa bawat pamilya kaya kami nakakabili ng mga construction materials,” Brente said. (They did not receive any construction materials from government – not even nails. It’s fortunate that a foundation was able to give them materials.)

According to Brente, it is hard to seek assistance from the government. “Sobrang busy kasi sila sa kanilang awayan. Mas inuuna ang mga ka-partido keysa sa mga survivors ng Yolanda. Kung aasa ka sa kanila baka sa susunod pa na pasko maayos ang tirahan ko.” (They’re too caught in political infighting. They’re helping party mates first before survivors. If we depend on them, my house might be finished next Christmas yet.)

Brente’s new house won’t be available come Christmas day, but he’s optimistic that his family will have a home before school reopens and work in government offices resumes early next year. 

NO-BUILD ZONE. Most residents of Brgy. 31 Pampanggo are now barred from rebuilding their houses destroyed by the super typhoon.

Christmas may not be merry this year for the residents of Barangay 31. But it’s all about hope, they said. – Rappler.com

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LeAnne Jazul

LeAnne has had 25 years of experience in the media industry. He joined Rappler for the 2013 elections and has stayed on. He is currently Rappler's photo editor.