Yolanda victims in northern Cebu getting sick

Residents of Daanbantayan town in north Cebu who were affected by the wrath of supertyphoon Yolanda are starting to fall ill from a combination of lack of potable water and food and exposure to the elements.

Diarrhea and fever are common among displaced residents days after the supertyphoon devastated the Visayas region, including areas in the northern part of Cebu.

“I’m afraid there will be an epidemic of diseases in our town. I can’t imagine being in this situation in a few more days. My heart bleeds. But I have to be strong,” said Daanbantayan Mayor Augusto Corro said.

He said they are in dire need of medicines apart from their basic necessities like food, water and tents.

“We’re expecting help to come. People have nowhere to stay permanently. They have been seeking shelter from one place to another. Our gymnasium, where they could have evacuated, was destroyed. We’re in a very difficult situation,” Corro said.

Relief goods have been sent by local government units and private sectors butare not enough.

Cebu Gov. Hilario “Junjun” Davide III said water, among others, is what the residents need.

“Their water supplies need power or generators. When I visited the localities affected by the supertyphoon, they are really devastated. I have not seen anything like that before. I thought things like these are just scenes on television. But they are real,” he said.

Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale said Manila Water Corp., a private water firm, will donate a water purifier which will be stationed in one of the localities in Cebu’s north.

“According to them, they can purify seawater so people there will have something to drink,” she said.

Mayor Corro said 95 percent of the houses in Daanbantayan was devastated.

Power, water supply and even communication lines are down in the area.

Corro said they did everything and prepared for Yolanda as advised by the weather bureau and the government but they were still badly hit.

At least nine people died in Daanbantayan.

Corro estimated the damage in Daanbantayan to be around P200 to P300 million.

Medellin Mayor Ricardo Ramirez said they received two generator sets from the municipalities of Aloguinsan and Asturias so their water systems can work.

However, he said water in Medellin is still insufficient.

Around 90 percent of the houses in Medellin were destroyed.

In Bogo City, Mayor Celestino “Junie” Martinez Jr. advised the barangay captains in his city to use their calamity funds of about P150,000 to P300,000.

“The solution to our problems is money. Since they have the calamity funds which have been unused for three years, then they can utilize it for the people,” he said.

About 90 percent of the houses in Bogo City, including Mayor Martinez’ dwelling, was destroyed.

Davide said more relief goods are coming to affected areas in the northern part of Cebu.