Sitio Mohon

It was Sunday dawn when my cousins arrived at our house to fetch me and my younger brother. We were going to Medellin, a small town located approximately 120 kilometers north of Cebu City. Our mission to Medellin is to facilitate a feeding program to the people who were affected by Typhoon Yolanda. The trip was lengthy and we needed to stop twice - one for CR break and the other, for breakfast by the road near La Paz in Bogo City.

As we approached to our chosen sitio (in Medellin), Sitio Mohon,  a bunch of kids welcomed us as if they anticipate visitors coming to their sitio everyday or weekly and bringing goods for them. Our feeding program offered hot rice porridge (or in Bisaya, lugaw), hotdog and flavored packed juice. Kids and adults fall in line while my cousins served the food to them. A heartwarming smile and a big thank you was their gift of appreciation!

Kids and adults fall in line

After the first distribution, I talked to a certain lady whose name I failed to ask. She shared their hardship during that day - the day that Typhoon Yolanda ravage the sitio. The town of Medellin is one of the hardest areas hit by the typhoon in Northern Cebu. During the storm, the residents of sitio found refuge to other resident's house which were quite sturdy and made of cement compared to their houses which were made only of wood. The typhoon devastated their homes especially the upper portion of the sitio. Some homes were completely destroyed. Currently, some of the residents lived at their neighbor's house but they hoped that they could build their own as soon as possible.

Fortunately, there are no casualties in the area. Some residents sustained minor injuries. After the storm, donations from different organizations and private individuals poured in week by week. In fact, during our feeding program at the sitio, there was a distribution of relief goods and school supplies at a nearby elementary school. Food, school supplies and even nails were donated to them. There are some instances that the people there, some are children, are waiting by the road. However, they found it dangerous, out of an incident that a spoiled packed lunch was given to them. At night, the residents were vigilant. There are thieves that may posed as Yolanda survivors from Tacloban who may rob them of their goods.

The residents of Sitio Mohon have a low income, nearly 2,000 a month. Most people worked as fishermen, carpenters and workers of sugarcane plantation. The highest attainable degree is High School and if diligent enough as well as with money, they enroll to vocational courses given by TESDA. Their baranggay health center has only one midwife and shelves for medicine were almost empty. They rely on community generator for electrity and a private artesian well for water. The typhoon made it harder for them.

I asked her if the government had made a vow of helping building their homes. She answered that there is, however, up to this time, it wasn't fulfilled yet. And when I asked her about the Conditional Cash Transfer, a government program for the indigent, she admitted that their family of  5 children weren't a member. In their sitio, she commented, that it was unfair because the members of CCT were selected and some were even ineligible. The government didn't give time to survey about their conditions.

Though rebuilding is taking place, the destruction brought by Typhoon Yolanda were still evident. Almost roofless homes,fallen trees, destroyed livelihood and school buildings. However, the true thing that is never destroyed, as I've seen through the visit, is the faith and hope of everyone!