By Emmanuel P. Solis
LEGAZPI CITY, Nov. 22 (PNA) — Eight families who escaped from the hard life they were experiencing in Leyte have sought refuge in Albay and are now staying at the apartment of an Albayana, who happened to be the employer of one of their relatives.
Leo Cuevas rescued his 52 relatives from Tanauan, Leyte, with the support of his employer, Nonita Regalado, who volunteered to lend her car so that he could fetch them and bring them to Legazpi City.
The evacuees quickly received assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office V (DSWD-5) as soon as they arrived in Legazpi City last Nov. 16.
DSWD offered them to stay at the evacuation center but they opted to take Regalado’s offer to live temporarily in her apartment in Kawit-East Washington Drive for the duration of their recovery.
DSWD provided Cuevas’ family with 15 pieces of sleeping mats, 15 pieces of blankets, 15 pieces of mosquito nets, three pieces of water jugs, 10 packs (30 kilos) of used clothing and DSWD Family Food Packs sufficient for a week’s consumption.
Help started to pour into Cueva’s relatives from Albay wherein his neighbors also donated cash, food items and clothing.
The local government of Legazpi referred the other members of the clan to the Bicol Regional Teaching and Training Hospital for medical assistance and health care.
DSWD has also coordinated with Legazpi City’s social workers to facilitate stress debriefing.
Members of the group who are preschoolers and elementary children were coordinated with the nearest daycare center and Albay Central School, respectively, which readily accepted them.
Albay, in partnership with the DSWD and OCD-Bicol, is preparing to host 2,000 internally displaced families or 10,000 people from Samar and Leyte.
Albay Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda, who made the announcement, said these IDPs will be accommodated in the newly constructed Japan-standard evacuation centers of the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office in Barangay Gogon, Legazpi City and in the towns of Polangui, Libon, Oas, Sto. Domingo and Manito.
Salceda said Albayanos are more than willing to accommodate their brothers in need.
Bicolanos from all walks of life have been lending hand to Yolanda victims even though some parts of the Bicol region were affected by the deadly typhoon about two weeks ago but the solidarity of the Bicolanos through “Team Bicol” is outpouring to help rebuild the devastated region of Eastern Visayas.
With this, more and more Albayanos are opening their houses to adopt homeless families from Leyte and Samar.
The Diocese of Legazpi led by Bishop Joel “Bong” Baylon also asked the Bicolanos to act as foster families to IDPs left homeless by super typhoon Yolanda.(PNA)