Sendong 2011 Revisited:

When typhoon Sendong or international code name Washi devasted parts of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City, it left us with images of suffering and human drama that gripped the nation and the world.  A simple Google search brings a flood of emotions of human suffering & sacrifices captured in photos as if frozen in time.  My brother, his wife and two children were living at the heart of the affected area very close to the Bell Church.  At around past 10 pm he was heading downtown to bring some pillows and blankets for friends staying at a chapel for the night due to flooding in other parts of the city, when he saw the level of water drastically rising.  He hit reverse and pulled inside the gate. As he was closing the gate, he realized that many of the neighbors in single story houses and huts might be in trouble if the flooding continues.  He got his wife and kids to the second floor of their rented apartment while he went around and woke up the neighbors to warn them of the pending danger.

In matter of minutes and in darkness the neighbors piled into their apartment as the waters continue to rise and the rushing waters covered the second floor.  They tore up a portion of the roof and the families seeking shelter with them were slowly lifted into the slippery roof, drenched and shivering. Fortunately,the roof managed to hold with even over three dozen people were on it.  They took on all who seek refuge, knowing quite well that the entire structure could come crumbling down.  For the next 5 hours they waited it out, hearing the initial cries and pleas for help from the surrounding houses in total darkness and the pall of death in the community permeating the night as the cries for help disappeared.  The rest is history, morning brought light and finally rescue boats, but they had to push their way through bodies of the dead.  They were the fortunate ones while a couple thousand others perished.

Is it possible to get some sort of a report on how scare resources were allocated and used to benefit the affected families and communities for both major catastrophes? 

Not sure if the failures in the rehabilitation efforts for Sendong still carries weight to many people other than those who were directly affected.  If anything, the lack of vision and the pwede na mentality in the administration validates that in a growing where the poor are left behind, the victory and claimed successes is shallow at best.