In the isolated village of Jalan, earthquake survivors wait for help

Displaced families stay in a temporary shelter in the highland area of ​​Barangay Burias in Glan, Sarangani, after leaving their coastal homes following the earthquake. (Mark Kosip/CDN Digital)

SARANJANI, Philippines – Nearly a week after a powerful earthquake struck southern Mindanao, families in one of the most isolated communities in Glan town are still waiting for relief supplies, many of them subsisting on boiled bananas, sweet potatoes and coconuts, as damaged roads, poor communications and lack of transportation continue to hamper the delivery of aid.

Residents of Purok Kasulutan in Barangay Burias are facing hardships beyond the fear left by Monday’s earthquake. With no cell signal, no electricity, running water or reliable transportation, getting to, or waiting for, help has become another daily battle.

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When CDN Digital visited the community on June 11, residents said many families had already exhausted their food supplies and had begun sharing whatever they could gather from nearby plantations and coconut trees.

“We are really suffering here,” said Didoy Dadu, a 60-year-old resident. “We even have patients, and evacuating them has become very difficult because of our situation and because we have no means of transportation.”

He added: “We even have patients, and their evacuation has become difficult due to our situation and the lack of transportation.”

Dadu also called for equal distribution of relief materials, saying every family in the community suffered regardless of the extent of damage to their homes.

“Relief distribution should not be selective because everyone here is affected. People cannot even work because of fear, so how can they earn a living?” He said.

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Without fuel for their motorcycles, residents now walk long paths up and down just to collect water, a journey that takes about an hour.

“We bear this because motorcycles can no longer travel without fuel, and the water source is very far,” Dadu said.

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He added that no village official had visited their area until June 11, and that residents often learned of developments only through word of mouth.

Six families currently live in their section of Purok Kasulutan, many of whom have young children.

Despite the difficulties, Dadu said leaving was still out of the question.

“We have no plans to move because moving will only make life more difficult,” he said. “Our products and livelihoods are here.”

Nearly a week after a strong earthquake struck southern Mindanao, families in one of the most isolated communities in Glan town are still waiting for relief supplies. (Mark Kosip/CDN Digital)

Trauma pushes families up the hill

A few minutes away, another group of displaced families has converted an old coconut smoke drying area into a temporary settlement.

Using bamboo poles, dried coconut fronds, and salvaged roofing sheets, they transformed rural shelters into temporary homes that provide minimal protection from the elements.

About 15 families living along the coast were evacuated to higher ground after seeing the sea recede in the wake of Monday’s quake, said Mursel Kengkem, a 60-year-old Borok leader.

“The earthquake traumatized us,” he said. “We came from the coastal area and moved to the mountains because we saw the sea receding.”

These families now live with their relatives and neighbors in the highland area, and face difficulty in securing sufficient food and water.

“We have been struggling to find food and water since Monday,” Kengkim said. “We always give priority to children.”

As supplies dwindle, residents are forced to share whatever they can gather.

“When supplies are low, we boil bananas, and sometimes we only survive on young coconuts,” he said.

Nearby, six other families live in roughly the same conditions, sharing what bananas, sweet potatoes or coconuts they can find when they run out of rice.

Kengkim said they were also in dire need of clothing and medicine, especially for sick residents sleeping on beds made of coconut fronds.

“We urgently need clothes and medicine because we have patients here,” he said.

Aid has been delayed due to damaged roads and bank closures

Barangay Councilman Hussein Dayanang admitted that Barangay Burias did not distribute relief aid until June 11, saying damaged roads, communication problems and funding constraints had slowed operations.

“We are here to help our constituents who should receive relief aid,” he said.

He said the entire district, which is home to more than 4,000 residents, or nearly 1,000 families, has yet to receive relief goods from the district itself.

“The entire Barangay Burias has not yet received assistance because our money has not been released in the barangay since the banks were closed,” Dayanang said.

A temporary shelter made of coconut fronds, bamboo and salvaged materials shelters displaced residents in the highland area of ​​Barangay Burias in Jalan, Sarangani, nearly a week after a strong earthquake struck in southern Mindanao. (Mark Kosip/CDN Digital)

Officials have tried to arrange temporary borrowing agreements while waiting for the funds to be released but have yet to obtain financing.

He also noted that damaged roads and lack of communications services were major obstacles during the first days after the earthquake.

“Funds have been made available, but due to the closure of banks, processing government funds is taking a long time. Damaged roads and lack of signal have also hampered operations,” he added.

Dayanang said food parcels were expected to arrive at the provincial and municipal levels later that day, with the region planning to prioritize rice distribution before gradually expanding aid.

He assured the people that the distribution of aid would include all families, including those whose homes were damaged and those whose homes remained standing.

“Everyone will receive food parcels. All families will receive assistance,” Dayanang said.

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The district has also begun registering households to document partially and completely damaged homes while slowly moving water to the affected areas and urging residents to remain calm. / blood

The Inquirer Foundation is calling for support for communities devastated by the recent 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the island of Mindanao.

In partnership with the Philippine Red Cross, the organization is amplifying calls to provide food, clean water and other vital assistance to affected families.

Donors can send contributions directly to the Philippine Red Cross through official remittance channels, and the full list is available on the PRC’s Facebook page.

The Philippine Red Cross has activated its emergency fund campaign and deployed teams on the ground to provide medical services, distribute relief goods and provide psychosocial support to affected families.

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