On 11-12 December 2019, 552 families from four communities in Quezon Province received food packs from Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH) through the Citizens’ Disaster Response Center Foundation, Inc. (CDRC) and Southern Tagalog People’s Response Center, Inc. (STPRC). These families survived the onslaught of Typhoon Tisoy (Kammuri), a destructive typhoon which affected 23,672 families in 683 barangays in Quezon Province alone.

Here are their stories.

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Perlito Aguila
Brgy. Don Juan Vercelos,
San Francisco, Quezon

Perlito is 48 years old. He is the chairperson of the barangay’s person with disability (PWD) organization which has 130 members. He lives with his family at the barangay proper.

Perlito shared his experience during typhoon Tisoy: On December 2 at 2:00 PM, a not so strong north winds started to blow until 3 o’clock in the afternoon. That same night, electricity was cut off. As the wind continued to blow harder and harder, he instructed his wife, daughter and three-year old grandchild to evacuate to Don Juan Vercelos Elementary School. They stayed there overnight together with other evacuees from the barangay. At about 5:00 AM on December 3, south winds started to blow hard. The galvanized roof of the school where his family sought temporary shelter was blown away by the strong winds. Minutes later, his three-year old grandchild started to vomit and developed a high fever. Perlito and his wife got worried and associated the vomiting and high fever with the nervousness of the child due to the strong winds.

At about 8:00 AM in December 3, the wind started to weaken but still gusted till afternoon. When the wind subsided, Perlito went around the barangay, visited his members and found out that all the banana plants and coconut trees were damaged. Houses especially those made of light materials were either totally or partially damaged. He also found out that some of his members got sick so what he did was to request a 10% advance from his honorarium to buy some medicines for them. He also went to DSWD to ask for support for his barangay, especially for food and drinking water because most of the members cannot afford to buy a container for PhP30.00. Some survived by drinking the murky water for they have no other source. He expressed that their barangay need support for house repairs and livelihood because it will take them two to three years before their crops such as banana and coconut will become productive again.

Perlito mentioned that the relief goods received will be enough food for his family of five for two days — a much-needed support while he repairs their house. The food pack contained 5kg. rice, 3 tins sardines, 1/4kg. dried fish and a bottle of cooking oil.

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Nelson Baquillas
San Francisco, Quezon

Nelson is a 54-year old farmer married to Gelma, 51 years old. They have three children aged 17, 14 and 9. He is a tenant in an eight-hectare land.
Nelson shared that at 9:00 PM of December 2, a not so strong wind started to blow. This continued until overnight. At about 4:30 AM 0f December 3, the wind became very strong with a sound much like an approaching truck. The wind maintained its strength until 8:00 in the morning. Trees, banana plants, coconut leaves and fruits had fallen and their galavanized iron roof was ripped off. Nelson’s family stayed in a corner of their house using an umbrella to protect themselves from rain. Minutes later, their wall was also torn off. They stayed in that corner for two hours because there was no other part in their house that they could use for refuge. At 9:00 AM, the wind subsided.

Nelson said that he felt very sad when he saw the damages to his crops. Nothing was spared by the typhoon: his 1,000 hills of string beans which they have just started harvesting and selling to the market, 900 banana plants, 700+ coconut trees, 300 hills of tomatoes at their flowering stage and 3-kilo seeds of planted corn which he was supposed to harvest two weeks after Tisoy hit the area.

He shared that their source of living after the typhoon was gathering all what could be salvaged from the fallen bananas, coconuts and string beans. After all these had been used up, they will look for farm work/construction jobs. He said that although he has a carabao and a cow, he does not own them. They are his landlord’s. Another burden for him is that his capital for his crops was a loan from a financing institution, CARD. He also added that it will take them 2-3 years before their banana plants and coconut trees will be productive again.

He is seeking for support for house repair and seeds so he could plant again.

With the relief goods received, he is very thankful that the goods will address the food needs of his family of five for two days since their livelihood was damaged.