‘Mangayo mi og tabang’: Inside the tent city in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines — “Mangayo mi og tabang (We are asking for help).”

At the foot of a limestone cliff called Boldosan in Sitio Camotes, Purok Molmol, Barangay Tapilon, Daanbantayan town in Cebu province, a makeship tent city has become home to several dozen families displaced by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck northern Cebu on September 30.

Despite the danger of possible landslides, around 150 families continue to stay there, believing it is safer than returning to their coastal homes. Families sleep under makeshift shelters of tarpaulins and salvaged wood, trying to keep a sense of normal life amid uncertainty. They cook simple meals, wash clothes, and care for their children and pets while relying on donations from passersby and volunteers.

Crizza Rosal, an evacuee, recalls the terrifying night when the earthquake struck. “Tumakbo po kami lahat papunta dito na walang dalang gamit, bitbit lang mga bata, tapos umuulan pa, takot na takot po kami, nag-iiyakan mga tao,” she said. (We all ran here without bringing anything, just carrying the children. It was raining hard, everyone was terrified and crying.)

Rosal said they remain in the tent city because they are too afraid to go back home. “Wala po kami mapuntahan kaya kahit delikado dito, dito pa rin kami. Wala po kaming choice, ayaw po namin umuwi dahil sa takot. Di ko maintindihan bakit po nangyari ito, sana bagyo nalang na pwedeng paghandaan, pero iba po pag linog.” (We have nowhere else to go, so even if it’s dangerous here, we stay. We’re too scared to return. I don’t understand why this happened—if it were a typhoon, we could prepare, but an earthquake is different.)

Another evacuee, Monina Gastador, shared the same fear. “Wa mi kasabot kung asa mi padung, asa mi moadto kay duol kaayo mi ug dagat. Morag nataranta nami tungod sa among kahadlok.” (We didn’t know where to go because our house is so close to the sea. We panicked.)

For many, nights are sleepless, especially when it rains. “Mahadlok sad mi diri kay delikado sa landslide. Unya kung mag-uwan basin naa mahitabo. Kagabii kusog ang uwan, wa mi tarong tug tanan. Naa ra bay mga bata ug tiguwang, nangabasa mi. Unta matabangan mi diri kay lisod gyud kaayo mi. Unta mahatagan mi’g tambal, tubig ug pagkaon,” said Jonna Taglucop, a high school student.

(We’re scared of possible landslides. When it rains, we can’t sleep. There are children and elderly people here. We got soaked last night. We hope someone helps us—we badly need medicine, water, and food.)

Located about 126 kilometers from Cebu City, Daanbantayan, the northernmost town in Cebu with 20 barangays, is among the hardest hit by the earthquake. Because of the distance, relief assistance remains scarce. Most donations are concentrated in nearby Bogo City, closer to the quake’s epicenter.

Rosal added that many children are getting sick. “Hinaot unta na matabangan mi bisag gamay lang kay intawn ang mga bata nagkasakit-sakit na, wa pa gyuy tambal. Unya ang moabot diri sa amoa di tawon kaigo.”

(We hope we can get even a little help. The children are getting sick and we don’t have medicine. Whatever help reaches us is never enough.)

Gastador echoed the plea. “Mangayo mi ug tabang, mga tao diri apil mga bata gipang-ubo na. Malooy intawon mo diri sa amo. Among kahimtang diri naglisod gyud. Sukad kagabii nag-uwan, wa mi tarong tug. Mga bata tawon, kalooy, nagpinungkuay nalang tungod sa baha.”

(We’re asking for help. People here, including children, are coughing. Please have mercy on us. We’re really struggling. It rained hard last night, and we couldn’t sleep. The poor children sat up all night because of the flood.)

Another evacuee, Merlinda Gonzago Sanchez, shared her worry for her son Mico, 16, who is sick. “Naa ko’y anak nga naay sakit nga meningitis. Manghinaot lang ko nga matabangan ni siya kay hantod karon mawad-an siya og panimuot, mokalit lang og kirig. Unta matabangan ko nga mapalitan siya og tambal ug vitamins.”

(My son has meningitis. I hope someone can help him. He still faints and has seizures. I wish I could buy him medicine and vitamins.)

She also described how difficult life has been for them. “Looy intawon mi diri kay wa mi higdaanan. Ngitngit kaayo, nagkinahanglan mi og tambal. Nanghinaot mi nga matabangan mi bisan gamay lang.”

(We’re pitiful here, we have no place to sleep. It’s dark, and we need medicine. We just hope someone can help, even a little.)

As of October 6, government reports confirm the death toll from earthquake has reached at least 69 people and hundreds injured across northern Cebu. In places like Barangay Tapilon, the struggle continues, not just to rebuild homes, but to find hope beneath the thin walls of tarpaulin that now shelter their lives.

–Rappler.com