While everyone was busy preparing their lunch in the “tent city” of Estancia, Iloilo where hundreds of families evacuated from their oil-spilled seaside community, a solo parent of two, got the biggest surprise of her life.
Aling Felimel Yamson and her two sons, Nhel Justine and Christian Jay, were eating lunch when the DSWD Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, DILG Secretary Mar Roxas and Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor joined them in their small dining table stalled outside their tent.
The unexpected visitors talked to Aling Felimel’s children about their dream profession. One of her kids proudly insisted that he wanted to become a nurse.
On the dining table, Secretary Roxas shared a joke that made the two kids laugh so hard. It was a day to remember for the Yamson Family.
Aling Felimel and her two children left their damaged house near the seaside at Purok 3, Botongon, when a barge of National Power Corporation took the brunt of the super typhoon Yolanda causing an oil spill. They are now currently living in a tent with four other families.
“Noong bumabagyo tumakbo kami sa mga magulang ko kasi natabunan bahay naming ng malalaking puno ng niyog. Sumisipol yung hangin na sobrang lakas. ‘Yung dalawang bata tinago naming sa kwarto para hindi naman sila matakot,” she said.
“Matapos ang bagyo dahil mag-isa lang ako ngayon nasa Maynila asawa ko nagtatrabaho, nilinis ko mag-isa yung mga kalat sa loob at labas ng bahay namin,” she said.
“Nabigla ako kasi yung mga bahay malapit sa dagat tinangay na ng alon.Tapos noong una akala lang namin langis lang na natapon sa kapitbahay ang naamoy namin, ‘yun pala oil spill na kaya lumipat na kami dito,” she said.
Raising her children and taking care of them now by her self especially after super typhoon Yolanda is not an easy task for her. The solo parent and her family is grateful that the government and international agencies immediately provided them assistance after the disaster.
“Malaking pasasalamat namin kasi sobra-sobra ang tulong simula noong lumipat kami dito sa tent. Madami na kaming na stock na pagkain. May araw pa na nagbibigay ng arrozcaldo at champorado,” she said.
“Natutuwa din kami na lagi naming nakikita mga staff ng DSWD at munisipyo dito, nag-aassist sa aming mga evacuees,” she said.
Despite what happened after Yolanda, Mrs. Yamson, who just moved back here in Estancia two years ago is looking forward to start again.
“Hindi ko akalain na makakaranas ako ng ganung kalakas na bagyo. Pero sana makaalis na kami dito sa tent at makapagsimula na ulit,” she said.
Her family is one of the hundreds of evacuees affected by Yolanda who were assured by Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, DILG Secretary Mar Roxas and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin of continuous help and assistance from the government while they are recovering from the onslaught of super typhoon Yolanda.
The DSWD Secretary also emphasized to the people of Estancia that one of the government’s goals is to help them cross towards a normal life after the devastation caused by Yolanda. #DSWD-CAR, SOCIAL MARKETING UNIT, Jomel Anthony V. Gutierrez
