#4 Cries of the heart

Barangay Hinaplanon is one of the most hardly hit areas during the destruction of typhoon Sendong or “Washi”. During those perilous times, a family of six struggled just to save their very lives.  Fredo or many would call him “Perding” did everything he could just to save his family.

Perding and his wife Nene with their four lovely children, Jojo (13 yrs. Old), Jessa (11 yrs. Old), Jorem (5 yrs.old), Jean (3yrs.old) were living in a “barong-barong’’ just one-hundred meters away from the Hinaplanon (Mandulog) river.

According to him, there was a heavy pour of rain as early as six in the evening. Aside from the heavy rain, the wind was blowing as if it was competing with the rain. At around eleven in the evening, the water was already slowly rising.

It was around past twelve o’clock dawn when Perding’s daughter Jessa, who was still awake because she couldn’t sleep due to the bothering noise cried as she saw and heard a raging “Tsunami like” water coming towards their home. Perding, startled by his daughter’s cry, immediately grabbed his son Jorem who was lying beside him, then he heard a loud “boom”. His house submerged in just seconds.

He heard his wife crying for help, but he just couldn’t find her; the bulk of logs kept pushing him away from the crying sound, with his grip fixed on his son’s hand.

“It happened so fast, every second the destruction advances, I couldn’t think properly… I was just shocked” says Perding while wiping the tears in his face.

A big log crushed their house, Perding and his son Jorem escaped the house just seconds before. The log separated Perding and his son Jorem from their family.

Thirty-minutes after, Perding carried his five year old son while avoiding the logs that came in their way, Perding did his best for him and his son to survive, finding ways to get to a safe place.

Perding held his son Jorem after a big metal-like object fell on Jorem’s head knocking him unconsciously. While Perding cried for help, the raging waters kept pulling Jorem away from his father as though the raging waters were trying to separate them. Fortunately, Perding was able to get hold of a branch of a tree, and there they stayed for six hours till the water receded.

After six tiring hours of finding a stable place and avoiding logs, Perding, who was still in a state of shock, hopefully searched for his missing family, while Jorem was brought to a secure place by the “Tanods.” Jorem later, was treated in a nearby hospital.

It was 6:30 on that fateful Sendong day when Perding saw the lifeless body of his daughter, his three year- old Jean who was asleep when the flashflood and logs destroyed their abode. Perding cried over the body of his precious baby girl; hugging and kissing her lifeless body. It was a heart-rending sight for everyone to see. However, many were also minding their losses, some numbed already for the exhausting hours having to save and rescue loved ones and property.

Two days later, Perding was reunited with his eldest son Jojo, who had his own story of surviving.

“I tried my best to save mom, but I couldn’t keep the logs from us” says Jojo, teary-eyed.

According to Jojo, his mom was with him when they got out of the house, they tried pushing the logs away but their slight build was no match to the massive fallen trees and soon the two were separated. It was a single giant log that went their way and as they were struggling to reach for the other’s arms, Jojo soon heard his mother’s shouting and crying for help-it was a hysterical cry, just the same as his which soon faded away in the night. Before long Jojo realized that he might not be able to find his mom.

Three months had passed but Perding’s wife, Nene and daughter, Jessa are both still on the list of the 181 missing people in the city of Iligan.

As of today, Perding and sons Jorem and Jojo are one of the evacuees living in the tent city in Luinab. They are dependent on relief goods that many organizations are providing.

They lost their home and loved ones. Jojo is still hoping that maybe his mother would just be out there and would be just soon be finding her way to them. His father Perding is still shocked and would not talk at times; this he says, are the cries of his heart: one day they would be reunited and be a happy family again.