With Salvo Studios' Jerome Green and Ben Knop, I headed back down to the southern end of Laguna de Bay to meet with the governments Social Welfare officials and conduct a needs assessment. I had been informed that there were villages in this region that 4 weeks after the rains of Ondoy were still chest high in water and without significant relief goods or support.On arrival in Santa Cruz, the provincial capital, we discovered that the reality was worse than we had heard. Built on the banks of the lagoon, Santa Cruz public market, though still alive with business, was accessed only by a hastily erected wooden walkway that allowed access over the increasingly polluted water to the crowded and busy market stalls. Walking through the aisles of freshly caught fish, newly slaughtered meat and dwindling fresh vegetables we were led to the newly created boat port - where two outrigger canoes awaited our patronage.
The water at the market, located about 1.5km from the 'normal' lakes edge, was waist deep and beginning to take on the appearance and aroma of some exotic soup. We set off on a tour of the CBD and dicsovered many shops and banks, now accessed only by boat, still open and touting for business. From the CBD we headed down the main street toward the 'lake shore', in amongst the houses half submerged with people just hanging around on their roofs. Many of the people in this community stayed, preferring to live on the roof or in many cases the second floor - than go to crowded and distant evacuation centres.
As we floated past the original evacuation centre that itself is now chest high in water, children called out to us and a mum with a toddler floated past in a large plastic tub supported by a rubber ring and dogs and cats, perched on shelves above the water looked at us as if we were the ones out of place.
Some statistics for the region:
- 814,396 people have been affected by the floods
- 26 have died, 20 injured and 4 are still missing
- 89,159 of these people are still living in 239 evacuation centres
- 3,150 homes have been completely destroyed
- 3,918 homes have been partially destroyed
Leaving the flooded area behind we headed out to the local high school sports complex that has become home for 171 families, (855 people including 246 primary school aged children and 1 ten day old baby boy, Leo, born in the corner of one of the classrooms). The familes are separated between ten rooms, about 25m2, and ten 6 person tents - in some cases up to 70 people sleep/live in each room. As Jerome and Ben played with the children (they said they were doing their media job) the adults watched and smiled - loving the fact that the kids were running and laughing.
Despite the tragedy and the uncertainty the people in Santa Cruz welcome us generously - whether it was onto their roof to have a chat, or into their houses to show us the water lapping at the ceilings, or into their space, and onto their mat - people wanted to share their story and thank us for spending some time with them and for bringing hope. Sometimes this intangible hope means more, and is more needed, than a bag of rice!
