After 12 years, kin still await DNA results to settle unrecovered parents after Typhoon Pablo in Mindanao
Twelve years have passed but Ofelia and her family continuously felt the trauma, especially if there’s a typhoon or a strong weather disturbance nearby the Davao region.
NEW BATAAN, Davao de Oro — The Rebucas sisters, Ofelia and Sonia, visited the Wall of Remembrance in Barangay Andap, New Bataan, Davao de Oro (formerly known as Compostela Valley province), on Sunday, July 27, to light candles for their father Julio who celebrated his birth anniversary.
Both of their parents, including two nephews, have never been recovered after the deadly Super Typhoon Pablo (Bopha) on December 4, 2012—the strongest typhoon to hit Mindanao at 280 kilometers per hour, killing over a thousand people. This happened almost a year after severe tropical storm Sendong (Washi) struck the Northern Mindanao region, killing 1,206 people.
The Wall of Remembrance—a structure containing the list of dead and missing Typhoon Pablo victims in the village—is situated at the then-center of Barangay Andap, which was greatly devastated by the typhoon. Ofelia’s three other siblings were also taken away by flash floods during the onslaught of Pablo, but they survived.
When asked if they still hope that their missing family members are alive, Ofelia ruled out the possibility, considering the health conditions of their parents who were both senior citizens.
Despite the horrifying past, there are still residents who chose to stay because of their livelihood. But the Rebucas sisters said the situation of the place since Typhoon Pablo has changed. From a bustling area where the barangay hall and barangay health center of Andap were previously located, it is now like a secluded location with fewer houses and residents.
Twelve years have passed but Ofelia and her family continuously felt the trauma, especially if there’s a typhoon or a strong weather disturbance nearby the Davao region. Although they were not severely affected since they live several meters from their parents’ house when Typhoon Pablo struck the town, she said that they learned their lesson. They are more alert now.
“We will listen [to the advisories]. If there’s a typhoon, we will immediately evacuate,” Ofelia said in an interview with a group of Mindanao journalists who also visited the area for safety training on climate-related disasters.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) report showed that Typhoon Pablo made landfall over Baganga, Davao Oriental, and it traversed to Davao de Oro. A total of 1,067 individuals were killed, including those victims outside Southern Mindanao.
In the Davao region, a total of 415,565 families were affected and there were 1,007 reported deaths (395 in Davao Oriental and 612 in Davao de Oro). Meanwhile, at least 436 persons were killed in New Bataan, and over 300 individuals went missing.
After over a decade, the Rebucas family is still hoping to know the results of DNA matching tests conducted by authorities, wishing their missing family members were among the unidentified bodies buried in four concrete vaults in a public cemetery in New Bataan. They have not received updates up to this day.
“That’s our only appeal. Because if they are there, we can properly transfer them,” Ofelia said in vernacular, admitting as well that they have not made any follow-ups in recent years as they have been reliant on the barangay government.
The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department of New Bataan, on the other hand, also did not have any update, saying it is beyond their control. (DAA)
The post After 12 years, kin still await DNA results to settle unrecovered parents after Typhoon Pablo in Mindanao appeared first on Bulatlat.
Leave a Comment