Grateful that his family was able to evacuate before their house totally collapsed and got swept away into the ocean by the rushing flood waters, John Paul, a grade 11 student from Barangay Taboc Norte, Oroquieta City recalled how what’s supposed to be a joyful Christmas day turned out to be a tragic one when his family lost their home.

“It was raining hard. The flood outside was just knee-deep when we tried to get our stuff and evacuate. But all of a sudden, it immediately rose above our chest,” John Paul said. They “celebrated” Christmas and the days that followed with heavy rains.

Barangay Taboc Norte was one of the communities greatly devastated by the shear line/wind convergence during the holiday break in late December 2022. A massive and severe flooding took place in the morning of the 26th taking 26 lives in the Northern Mindanao Region, 20 of which came from the province of Misamis Occidental. It also caused millions worth of damages to agriculture and infrastructures including John Paul’s house and several others’ in their community.

For more than two weeks, John Paul and his family stayed at the Cultural Center, a covered court/gym which is the designated evacuation center, until they were informed that they had to leave on January 14, 2023. With no other place to go, a relative offered them to stay at their house.

“I feel miserable that we almost lost everything and that we no longer have a house now,” he expressed sadly. “On the other hand, I am also thankful that God did not abandon us,” he added.

Like him, John Paul’s three siblings go to school, too. He understands all too well the hardships the entire family, especially his mom is going through, with her irregular income of around Php400.00 on a “lucky day” from selling fish at the market.

Despite receiving several relief assistance at the evacuation center, John Paul’s family still struggles to make ends meet. The food pack they received from CDRC and GlobalGiving, with support from the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI), augmented the daily subsistence of their family. Grateful for the support, John Paul also knows that their needs are more than just food. He seeks further support from the local government unit (LGU), organizations, and people with capacities to help their family and community rebuild their homes.

“I am witness to how my mom and other parents in our community are desperately struggling to fend for their families. We may have survived the flood, but we still need a sustainable source of income,” John Paul inferred.