EFFECTS OF ‘REMING’

11 January 2007

Gov fears extreme poverty in Albay

By Bobby Q. Labalan and Ephraim Aguilar
Inquirer Southern Luzon

LEGAZPI CITY—EXTREME POVER-ty is likely to follow the devastation wrought by Supertyphoon ‘Reming,’ according to Gov. Fernando Gonzales who appealed for more help to alleviate the sufferings of his constituents.

“It’s a very grim prospect for us,” Gonzales told the Inquirer during a roundtable discussion with the Inquirer Southern Luzon on Monday.

He urged institutions and governments to help in the rehabilitation of the communities.

Gonzales said government efforts were now geared toward rehabilitation, which, he added, required more funds.

“We have at least 8,000 families who need to be relocated immediately to get them out of harm’s way,” he said.

The local governments of Ligao City, Guinobatan, Camalig, Daraga and Legazpi City have identified relocation sites but lack funds for their development, he said.

He thanked the private sector and non-government organizations (NGOs), especially those helping in the repair of damaged schools in Batan, Cagraray and Rapu-rapu islands and in other parts of the province.

Another NGO helped rehabilitate a hospital in Tabaco City, he added.

“But the biggest problem confronting us is how to rehabilitate the people’s livelihood, especially the farmers whose coconut and rice farms were almost completely destroyed,” he said.

Irrigation dams in many towns were destroyed, rendering rice farms without water.

The majority of people in Albay derive income from rice and coconut farming.

Gary

In a two-day visit to Albay, singer Gary Valenciano, who arrived on Monday as Unicef ambassador, sang and spread the message of hope to thousands of children.

Valenciano, whose father is from Camalig, Albay, visited public schools in Daraga and Guinobatan, which serve as shelters for villagers displaced by lahar from Mayon Volcano.

At the Tabon-tabon Elementary School in Daraga, where homeless typhoon victims from Barangay Malobago have sought refuge, Valenciano sang to hundreds of children inside a 72-square-meter tent.

At the jampacked hall of the Guinobatan East Central School, children gaped in awe at Valenciano as he sang “I will be here” and “Natutulog ba ang Diyos?”

Unicef communications assistant Kathleen Pobre said it was as if the children had never experienced tragedy with smiles beaming on their faces.

Valenciano told the children that despite the disaster, they should never stop going to school and studying hard.

The Unicef gave learning materials, such as books, recreational and sports equipment, and tents for temporary classrooms.

Tears

Valenciano interacted with Thea Jane Liantos, 8, who told him that she lost her mother when mudflow struck Barangay Maipon.

With braces to support her body because of a congenital spine illness, Thea survived the tragedy, but she saw her mother drown. She is now in the custody of her aunt.

Valenciano crouched so he could look at Thea straight in the eyes as he sang.

Many people shed tears, including Dr. Nicholas Alipui, Unicef Philippine representative who was with Valenciano during the visit.

After the show, the singer and Alipui visited the mudflow site at Maipon.

“A lot of work needs to be done and I’m honored to do something even in small and big ways especially for my kababayan (countrymen),” Valenciano said.

Pobre said proceeds of his concert were donated to the Unicef for its relief and rehabilitation efforts.

Helping in the long-term recovery of Bicol will be a Unicef priority this year, said Alipui.

Unicef has turned over to the provincial government almost P10 million worth of relief items to typhoon victims in Albay since December.

Alipui said the agency had committed an additional $250,000 for the next three months to support the rehabilitation of schools, water-sanitation, recreational and sports facilities for children, and provisions for women’s livelihood.