Capturing learning from a Typhoon Odette Community-led Humanitarian Action
Sitio Tonggo, Barangay Santo Nino, Jandig, Maribojoc
Sitio Tonggo, a steep hill on top of a small mountain range, offers a breathtaking overlooking view of this side of Bohol up to Tagbilaran and Panglao. In a few years, following the current trend of expats and overseas Filipino workers acquiring upland properties here in Maribojoc, these farms will be real estate prime lots, according to LGU officials. “They will get rich,” commented former Mayor Jun Evasco if they can show proof of ownership.
But first, they needed to survive the aftermath of a supertyphoon.
To reach there, the SCLR Team of Clearnet/Duyog Marawi in Bohol had to ride a habalhabal (single motorcycle), passing through a deep ravine and a short moss-covered forest trail before reaching what looked like a pile of rocks after a landslide. Then, the team had to walk up the mountain for almost thirty minutes. Finally, Rexy Gimena, a team member, said,” We probably have reached the stairs to heaven.” The locals joked, “diez pesos na plete para langit.”
The road was already a main concern in the past. However, after a major typhoon, it became a survival issue.
Twenty-one farming families who survived the fury of Odette were cut off from food, water, and medicine, including senior citizens with comorbidities, because the road turned into a pile of rocks.
This is where Manay Lily Antequisa lives. She is 73. Manay Lily is a veteran of life’s hardships and natural disasters, the most recent of which was the 7.2 earthquake that hit her hometown Maribojoc in October 2015. From her vantage point, she saw the church powdered into a pile of limestone. That was difficult.
But she was holding back tears when she said, “Ikompara sa una sa linog, mas perti jud lisora ang kinabuhi karon Rey.” (Compared to the earthquake, life is way more difficult now.) Serving as spokesperson for her community, she began with the problem of drinking water. Odette damaged the local water system. They had been dependent on rainwater. But as she pointed out, all but one of the jars were empty. A drum of rainwater is reserved for cooking.
Manang Lily was very graphic in her story. When they took a bath, they stepped on a large basin so that the bathwater could be saved to flash the toilet bowl. The alternative source, a nearby well, must ha e been damaged because “naghunob“, means water was seeping back to the ground. Repairing this is out of the question at the moment. They figured it would require days of labor to figure out the cause of the leak.
So, for days, drinking water came from the rain for these 100 people or so. But eventually, they had to buy distilled water from local refilling stations in the town center at 50 pesos per container, and the motorcycle could only carry one per trip. The flood washed down the soil leaving behind rocks. “Mas maayo pa sungkaan.” Sungka, the traditional game with a wooden set with several holes, looks smoother than this road.
Manay Lily continued, “We need two containers a day. One hundred per day. 3K per month. Where will we get that money for water. With her pension used for medicines, she now depends on her children. And that is when she talks about livelihoods, which the other members of the Purok Association validated. The two main sources of income in this mountain village were copra production and mat weaving. Both are gone now. More than 500 coconut trees were felled, their trunks blocking most footpaths. The rest are standing but are useless. Unproductive. All baliw palm trees which are sources for mat weaving were damaged, and any attempt to save them was blocked by fallen trees. The surrounding forest is a haven of snakes and monkeys. No one would dare to go there.
Manay Lily had an option to leave Tonggo, Jandig, Maribojoc, Bohol. She has three children in Iligan, who are more than willing to take her in. But she housed a very poor family as evacuees and fed them.
“I will take care of them first,” she said.
She serves as de facto leader of the Tonggo Purok Association where her husband Tatay Cencio is president. And that is how the community-led response in this mountain was done with precision.
She met with all members to discuss how to wisely use the allocated fund of 56,000 pesos. It took them a long day to decide. Food was number one. Road was number two because it would give access to the market. Then they divided themselves into committees – procurement, packing, distribution, etc.
The community decided not to follow the usual way of equal distribution per family. Rice was five kilos were person, not per household. And thus, many households with many members received more rice aid. They believed it is fair and just.
They also allocated funds for purchase of materials to repair the road. For labor, they scheduled weekend pintakasi – the traditional bayanihan where each family will send one able member to help in the road clearing and repair. Everyone agreed that it was the best way to save money rather than hire builders.
The timeline was set, and despite a few setbacks due to the weather, they were able to finish on time. Apart from that, the sclr support proceeded smoothly without major challenges. All became a learning experience. Everyone knew that only they could solve their problems.
Manay Lily couldn’t hold back the tears during a meeting and food distribution. She cried in front of everyone, making the others wipe their eyes. It has been a difficult survival for these mountain dwellers. “Let us thank God that we are together. We have people who are willing to help. We will survive.”
Today, the road is fixed, and life in Tonggo is slowly getting back to normal. The community became more united. “If there is another typhoon, we now know what to do. We will help ourselves.” Manay Lily said with a smile.
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