text: Retrospection: After the Flash Flood … What Then? – just the way i am …
  Retrospection: After the Flash Flood … What Then?
  Kaning baha nga nahitabo sa Cagayan de Oro, dako kaayo og impact nga nahimo dili lang sa among mga taga Cagayan kung dili apil pod sa mga tao nga taga laing lugar – mga tao nga dunay mga kaparyentihan nga namuyo dinhi o mga tao nga sa niaging mga panahon, nakapuyo pod diri.
  Tungod sa nahitabo, na prove sa kadaghanan nga grabe ang pag bati sa mga tao sa ilang isig ka ingon. Ang mga hinabang nag abot nga pareha pod ka kusog sa bagyo – paspas og way undang.
  Para niadtong mga na igo sa baha nga sa kaluoy sa Ginoo kabutangan lang ang nangawala, dali ra ang pag balik og pag sugod sa uno.
  Apan kanila nga namatyan og mga mahal sa kinabuhi, lisod og dugay ang pag sugod pag usab, labi na kadtong wala pa makita ang ilang mga mahal sa kinabuhi.
  Subo lang palandungon nga tungod pod sa nahitabo nga kalamidad, ang maayo og ang dautan nga kinaiya sa matag tao nakita … Daghan ang estorya nga nahitabo nga bisan manag silingan, nag away tungod sa kawat sa mga kabutangan bisan pa man tanan na bikitima sa baha. Dunay mga “first hand accounts” akong nahibal-an nga bisan sa kamulo pa ang baha, og samtang ang mga tawo nag iyahay na og katkat sa mga atop, duna pa gyo’y pipila nga midalikyat pa gyod og pangawat sa mga mahalon nga gamit sa balay nga ilang gipang sudlan.
  Then there are remarkable stories of people helping people; people risking their own lives just to help save others. I know of a young man who’s around 17 years old from Isla de Oro (his family name is Barton) who saved more than 300 people with the use of his bangka – a flat bottomed “sakayan” used to haul “balas” from the bottom of the Cagayan de Oro River. That fateful day, Brother Barton just came home from a whole day exam (he took an Electrician’s NCII qualifying exam in COBSAT) and was very tired. He went directly to bed and was awakened when he felt his back getting soaked with very cold water. He realized the flood was not like the usual, and so he immediately got his small boat and began hauling his family. After bringing his family to safety, he could have stayed safe himself, but he felt differently. He felt he needed to help others. And so risking his own life, and using only his bare hands to pull his small boat around sinking rooftops, he pulled and tugged on electric wires just so he can get near people – mostly mothers with little children and old people. He could not use his paddle because the current was so swift and there was too much debris floating all around him. He said he never felt the cold, nor the pain from cuts he got from GI sheets and wood and other debris … What was on his mind was to save as many as he could. In many instances he saw people drowning … and he did all he could to try to save all of them – but he was only able to do as much. The following day the same boat he used to save people from drowning was used by the military to haul dead people … and he was there, too, to assist. I asked him if he’s okay; and all he said was he did his best …
  Then there’s the story of people blaming the government for not doing enough; for not doing what it should have done a long time ago …
  Sa bisan asa ta mo lingi og maminaw, daghan ang atong madunggan nga dili mayo – libak diri og libak didto …
  Mga tawo nga gapangayo og hinabang … og mga tawo nga maoy gipangayuan og hinabang …
  Mga tawo nga gapangutana og angayan ba tabangan si Polano og si Polana? Mga tao nga ga diskyumpiyado kung ang hinabang nga gihatag nahatag ba sa angay hatagan ?
  Mga nanginahanglan nga mao pa’y isog … Mga motabang nga mangwenta sa gitabang …
  Mga tawo nga dili molihok sa ilang kaugalingon og mohulat og magsalig pa nga ang uban tawo maoy molihok para kanila … sama sa pag limpyo sa ilang mga balay … o molaba sa ilang sinina … o moluto sa ilang pagkaon ;
  Duna poy mga tawo nga wala na maghulat sa uban ; sila mismo nag sugod sa ilang angay nga buhaton … og mapasalamaton sa mga nitabang kanila …
  Generous givers o mga tao nga nitabang pero dili gusto magpahibalo sa uban nga sila nitabang (people who would rather remain anonymous in their generosity …)
  And there are those who helped but would like to be appreciated and recognized publicly for their help …
  There are those who helped without being asked …
  And then there are those who will not help unless asked …
  People with trust issues … always believes the worst in people … That people can not be trusted when it comes to money …
  Kasubo ba palandungon …
  I’d say let’s all reflect on what has transpired. Let us look upon ourselves, and hopefully be honest…
  Has this calamity brought out the best in us? Or has it revealed the worst in us?
  Borrowing John Powel’s famous quote, here’s something for all of us to ponder on:
  “The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing …”
  Posted on January 10, 2012 Author Mommy TinaCategories Reflections and PerspectivesTags Cagayan de Oro Flood, Flood in Cagayan de Oro, Sendong in Cagayan de Oro City, The Disaster that Hit Cagayan de Oro City
  3 thoughts on “Retrospection: After the Flash Flood … What Then?”
  Hi sis. Tin, we’ve seen the devastation that left so many homeless and many dead… we also grieved for them, our holiday was not the same as we thought to be upon knowing what happened 12hrs. before our arrival in CDO. We learned so many stories alike but I’d like to thank you for the remarkable thing this young Barton did. Personally, we would like to thank him for unselfishly saving so much lives to the best he can and thank you for this article…Hope to meet him in some future time…Love and best regards to you and family…
  Thank you also ‘Ne for your comment. Indeed it was a nightmare – what happened in our City. But things will get better … and I hope as a people and as a community we will learn from this sad experience and become a much better people. God bless you and your wonderful husband! ~ Tina ♥
  Fe A. Godornes says:
  hello sis tina, i appreciate this blog and all of the things you wrote there is true… Lalo na doon sa sinabi mong “Sa bisan asa ta mo lingi og maminaw, daghan ang atong madunggan nga dili mayo – libak diri og libak didto …
  Duna poy mga tawo nga wala na maghulat sa uban ; sila mismo nag sugod sa ilang angay nga buhaton … og mapasalamaton sa mga nitabang kanila …”
  most especially ang pag limpyo sa balay… naa tawo nga gusto sila ang unahon pag di nagawa ang gusto mahitabo, didto dayon tirahan og daotan og masakit na panulti…ingnon pa ang leaders nga lamlam or lip service lang… nakaka disappoint ang ganitong pag uugali ng tao, na mismo sila ang walang charity iniisip lang nila ang kanilang sarili.then sa time naa na ang mag limpyo sa ilang balay gibalibaran kay ngano daw karon pa nag abot og mag lakaw sila.
  Sa akong nasabtan sa ganitong sitwasyon ang totoong may charity e yong taong malawak ang pang unawa , hindi iniisip ang sariling kapakanan lang… yon lang Mommy Tins… salamat sa blog na ito i hope mabasa ng marami ng may matutunan….
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