Following the twin disasters that struck Negros Oriental barely half a year ago, government and NGOs, as well as private individuals pooled their resources to give assistance in all forms to the victims of Tropical Storm Sendong and the magnitude 6.9 earthquake.
The pictures of the flood victims and the earthquake damage tugged at the hearts and purses of the donors, that donations came literally falling at the victims’ feet.
Politicians, businessmen, religious groups, students, and workers banded together and gave what they could to mount a gigantic relief effort. There were donations from other countries, as well.
In many instances, there was just too much grace to go around that the fishers and farmers — even those who were unhurt or did not sustain any material damage — didn’t want to go to work anymore. They merely sat by the roadside to wait for the trucks carrying sacks of rice, canned goods, bottled water and noodles. If they were lucky, they also got blankets, clothing, mats, and some construction materials.
Now, it’s Negros Oriental’s turn to give. Continuous rains brought about by the southwest monsoon have inundated huge areas of Metropolitan Manila and parts of Luzon.
Unlike our living conditions in the countywide where we could just go to our neighbor to ask for some vegetables, the flood victims of the urban jungle have nowhere to turn to, except to rely solely on relief goods from kind-hearted individuals and organizations.
Gov. Roel Degamo was quick to heed the call of the moment. Even though Negros Oriental may have some difficulty in fixing the infrastructure damage wrought by the twin disasters, the governor directed the Provincial Risk Reduction & Management Council to release P1 million to the flood victims in the Philippine capital. The Provincial Board also was quick to support the measure, which was passed without any delay.
P1 million may not be much, considering the extent of the damage of the calamity in Metro Manila, but it speaks a great deal about our concern for our brothers and sisters who have nothing to eat and nowhere to rest.
We may not be able to individually thank the people who came to our aid when we needed it most, but certainly, we can do what they did to us, and pay the blessing forward.
