My Thoughts By C.M. Avanceña

Happy New Year!

Looking forward to brighter days must be the exercise of the day. After the huge devastation of our beloved city, we look back with pain to the people: friends and relatives we lost to typoon Sendong. Everyday, the list gets longer. Friends, friends of friends, relatives and school's name came up, my teacher, our dean in college's wife, and neighbors cannot be found. A classmate in high school lost her home, her child and spouse. Unbelievable. It seemed like one day, God wanted to eradicate a certain portion of the earth and suddenly it happened.

Death seems to be coming closer to us. Meaning, there are mpore people our age dying. But this time it's different. There was no choice of age, status, etc. It was just a whole lot. In a moment they were gone.

The debris show logs, houses, plants, posts, window jambs, doors, etc. Imagine all these flowing into your house as the water rose. It must have been that traumatic.

All of that is past. Looking forward means rebuilding the lives of the survivors, and rebuilding their homes, and putting back everything in their lives in order. Slowly but surely.

I can see that evryone in the unaffected areas, all over the world are extending a helping hand. I never witnessed in my life as Cagayanon such concern for those unlucky "paisanos" of ours.

We cannot deny it. Our hearts get pricked by the gesture of kindness of people from far and near to be of help and offer to do what they can do for the victims.

Everyone, rich and poor have suddenly become a "volunteer". Good gesture really. They need all the help in the relief centers. Just make sure the donations go to the victims.

The biggest problem is that some victims have gone back to their old place. But I thought there was an order from President Noynoy that these areas must be left uninhabited. And how come these people were allowed to rebuild in the same place where their houses were swept by the raging waters just recently?Who must implement this order? Do we need to police the area?

What leaves a bad taste in the mouth is that some people allowed themselves to be classified as "victims": receive assistance, and eat up our hearts for pity, and yet they go back to the area? Is that fair? I think they must be classified as "opportunists". Not victims. For God's sake leave the place. There are people who are breaking their heads to be able to give you guys new homes.

If another storm comes and the river rages again, then you become victims once more. And here we are giving relief to you again! You must not be helped anymore because you chose to go back and rebuild in a place where you are not allowed to rebuild anymore. What a shame...Let us stop you there. I saw a lot of footages on national television . One was really irritating. They were back in the site and when asked if they were not afraid the response was "sigue lang, mangdagan lang mi ug na-a na ang tubig". As if there will be a big bell to warn them when the water rises. You are sitting on the river my dear. Not only on the bank of the river, but the river itself! Obey the order. And the one giving the order must be strong (man) enough to fully implement what must be done.

Life's trials can really be traumatic. But more often that not, these trials are man made! If there are people like these, how can we rebuild? My prayer is that, the donations and assistance, and the efforts to rebuid donot die in vain!

"...break, break, break,

at the foot of the crags, oh sea,

and the tender grace of a day that's

dead,

will never come back to me..."

cmavancena@yahoo.com