13 years after Pablo: relatives of the dead and missing continue to wait for DNA results
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 03 August) — Sonia and Ofelia Rebucas lit candles beside the memorial wall in Barangay Andap, New Bataan in Davao de Oro for their father, Tulio Sr., on his birthday on Sunday, July 27. On the wall are the names of the dead and the missing when super typhoon Pablo swept across this town on December 4, 2012, their father’s name among them.
Tulio’s remains were not found and since the devastating Super Typhoon Pablo slammed across Davao de Oro nearly 13 years ago, the family continues to wait for the results of the DNA test that government vowed to release six months later, to determine in which numbered niche on the concrete burial vaults at the public cemetery, contain the remains of their father, mother, niece and nephew.
Mindanawon journalists who visited New Bataan on July 27 as part of the media safety training on reporting climate-related disasters, chanced upon the sisters at the memorial wall.
Ofelia shared that after typhoon Pablo, they are now more vigilant on safety protocols.
Recalling what happened on December 4, 2012, Ofelia said they did not heed the warnings then as they were confident that Mindanao was typhoon-free. It was the first time they experienced a typhoon.
These days, when heavy rains cause the Mayo River to swell, the sisters admit they still feel nervous even as their family members now reside away from Mayo River.
But Lynne Dollolasa, officer in charge of the Municipal Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO) noted that after Pablo, the community is now more cooperative once alerted of possible storms and other weather disturbances.
Areas that were severely affected by landslide and flashflood in 2012 are posted by the MDRRMO in a hazard map.
When typhoon Pablo struck in 2012, Dollolasa was then working at the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO), serving the needs of residents who had to seek refuge in evacuation centers.
Nearly 13 years later, Dolllolosa said residents in New Bataan’s 16 barangays (population: 51,466 as of the May 2020 census of the Philippine Statistics Authority) are now responsive once they are alerted of upcoming weather disturbances and other hazards.
“Ang among nakitang kabag-ohan, ang reaksiyon sa mga katawhan—mas participative,” (What changed was how the people react. They are now more participative), she added.
“Og muingon na gani’g naa na’y balita sa panahon, abtik na silang mu-chat, mangutana. Lahi na angreaction, prior sa experience sa Pablo,” (If there is news about the weather, they will chat immediately, they ask. The reaction now is different from before the town experienced super typhoon Pablo), she said.
She acknowledged there still are people who stay in the hazard areas despite the relocation efforts for residents who lost their homes to the super typhoon. But they now cooperate when alerted.
For households that refuse to evacuate to safer grounds when the situation calls for evacuation, Dollolasa said they bring police personnel with them.
She also explained that the MDRRMO has evolved from a mere office under the Office of the City Mayor to a department with a separate mandate and budget by 2015 or three years after Pablo. New Bataan, she said, was the first town in Davao de Oro to have turned the MDRRMO into a department. Other towns followed.
The office has been capacitating barangays on disaster preparedness, relocating and improving evacuation facilities, and creation of isolation facilities with partner agencies.
Dollolasa admitted that their emergency response equipment is not yet sufficient but neighboring municipalities have committed to provide assistance, manpower, and emergency equipment in case needed.
She said they continue to educate the citizens on evacuation routes and evacuation sites.
“Ang among pangayo lang g’yud sa matag panimalay nga maningkamot sila na muapil, musalmot,”(What we are asking of every household is to participate and adhere to the safety protocols), she said.
Despite the continued efforts for proactive disaster measures, the bereaved like Ofelia and Lilia remain hopeful that one day they will be able to determine through the DNA test results, which of the numbered niches in the burial vault contain the remains of their parents, nephew and niece, so they can honor them with a proper burial.
“Among ginikanan, wala pa gyu’y resulta hangtod karon. Mao lang among hangyo,” (Our parents don’t have results [for the DNA] until now. That is what we want) Lilia said.
They admitted that they do not know what agency to follow up, and MDRRMO clarified that the release of DNA test results is beyond them as the proper agency to follow up is the Disaster Verification Team of the National Bureau of Investigation.
It has been a long wait – nearly 13 years – for the Rebucas sisters and others who lost their loved ones in New Bataan on December 4, 2012 to get the results of the DNA tests.
Out of a thousand persons who lost their lives due to Pablo, around 400 were from this town.
Marlon Esperanza, then Municipal Information Officer, told MindaNews in January 2013 that according to their records, there were 437 “bodies found” as of January 15, 2013. Of this, a total of 384 were buried in the four burial vaults in the public cemetery as of December 26, 2012, the numbers preceded by PNB for “Pablo New Bataan.”
In the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan which was struck by typhoon Sendong in December 2011, relatives of the unidentified persons whose remains were found but were unidentified are still awaiting the results of the DNA. Like the public cemetery in New Bataan, the numbers on the niches in the public cemeteries of Cagayan and Iligan of Sendong’s unidentified dead have also either faded or could not be read anymore. (Razl EJ Teman / MindaNews)
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