Kalibo still reeling from havoc brought by typhoon Frank
KALIBO, Aklan—Residents of this quiet and peaceful town are desperately crying out for food, water and other assistance more than a week after typhoon Frank ravaged Western Visayas.
While eyes are mostly focused on the death and destruction brought by the typhoon in Iloilo and the sinking of the MV Princess of the Stars near Sibuyan Island, the capital town of Aklan and provincial center of business, education and government is still buried in in at least ankle-high mud with no electricity, water, phone lines and food.
Most vendors have not gone back to their livelihood and are lining up along the Pastrana Park, the town's public plaza, begging for food and water and waiting to mob the next vehicle that comes along carrying relief goods.
"I haven't sold anything since (June 21) and even if we can find rice at P18.25 a kilo, I don't have any money to buy it," said 31-year-old Ariel Pioquid, a rice cake vendor and one of those sitting near the plaza waiting for relief goods to arrive.
Pioquid said rice is being sold at an overprice of P150 per ganta (P66 per kilo) despite pronouncements of authorities that they are monitoring the prices of prime commodities.
George Calaor, spokesperson of the provincial chapter of the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, said the "slow and inadequate" response of the national government agencies to the overwhelming crisis has further worsened the situation of poor communities especially at C. Laserna Street, one of the hardest hit areas situated along the Aklan River.
"Many do not have a house to return to and the they cannot yet earn any livelihood because they have lost everything even the hammers and saws of carpenters and food baskets of vendors," said Calaor.
Bayan and its allied organizations have launched Task Force Tabang to gather and distribute relief assistance to victims especially in poor communities.
Life in this town of 71,000 residents has grounded to a halt.
While the water supply has been partially restored by the Metro Kalibo Water District, the water coming out from faucets is still murky and unsafe for drinking. Residents either boil it or buy bottled water.
Classes in all levels remain suspended as most schools were destroyed or damaged with residents hardly able to walk through the slippery and smelly mud, debris, fallen trees and toppled electric posts.
Most stores including fastfood chains are closed as employees continue the clean up and repair of structures and each piece of equipment, washing mud and debris with limited water available.
Residents are short of cash as automated teller machines (ATMs) of banks are all down because of damaged computers and buildings. Bank customers line up for hours to withdraw cash over-the- counter in a few banks that have reopened.
The operations of the provincial and municipal government are all focused on disaster relief operations, cleaning up of the muddied streets and structure and the restoration of basic services. All other functions and offices remain suspended because the provincial capitol was among the hardest hit by the mud flow.
The flood destroyed or damaged years of records and files of offices including the accounting and assessor departments. Muddied and still wet computers, chairs and tables have been piled along with drenched thick file folders along hallways and in front of offices.
Office and court hearings have also been indefinitely suspended at the two-story Godofredo P. Ramos Hall of Justice after strong winds, heavy rains and mud flow drenched court documents and equipment and blew off the roof and ceiling of court rooms.
The flow of information to the public is almost non-existent because all radio stations have not resumed broadcast. Residents have to rely from reports aired by radio stations in Roxas City in Capiz.
Most residents are still mostly in their homes trying to wash of the mud from each piece of furniture, kitchenware and other household items that managed to survived the mud flow.
"Everything is at a standstill from a personal level up to the government and institutions. We are in disbelief," former Aklan Rep. Allen Quimpo said in an interview Sunday night as he helped arrangements for the airlifting of Rep. Florencio Miraflores to Manila.
Miraflores suffered a mild stroke after days of supervising relief work and was taken to Manila midnight on a chartered plane 12 a.m. Monday. He is now recovering at the Philippine Health Center.
Some residents said relief and rehabilitation work have not been fast and wide enough.
"It's very slow and by the time we got help, some of us already died," said Roberto Villanueva, 47 and a father of three.
While better off families can go to neighboring Capiz province or to Iloilo City to withdraw money from ATMs or have it sent by parcel by friends and families outside of Kalibo, poor residents have no choice but to depend on dole outs until they can find a living again.
"The people in poor communities still need the relief assistance," said Msgr. Jose Dollete, vicar general of the Kalibo Diocese.
Franklin Quimpo, consultant for barangay affairs, said they catered to around 3,000 residents who flocked to the provincial capitol relief center to receive relief goods last Sunday. But more assistance is needed.
Gov. Carlito Marquez said there was "just too many victims" to attend to and relief goods are almost depleted.