More stories from Iloilo re: Typhoon Frank

Mila Aujero writes again to my sister, this time with pictures taken by a neighbor of Inday Regalado, who is either her friend or relative. Click on the first picture to see three men trying to survive the flood. The second picture shows the aftermath on Inday Regalado's front yard. I have omitted some real names to protect persons who may feel judged. Calamity spares neither rich nor poor; or, for that matter, good nor bad.

--- On Thu, 7/10/08, mila aujero wrote:

Del,

Kon stories lang about baha survivors, haaay endless.
Everybody has a story to tell. Sharing with you some.......

*Remember our classmate Lydia Torre? She was alone
with her nieces at their one story house in Alta Tierra when acc. to her ,suddenly in a split second taga neck na ang flood.All girls sila, nag panic siya.She saw a hose, tied it to
a tree nagkabit kabit sila sa hose for several hours until they were rescued.

*Got a friend who is very rich, xxx, who owns
several gasoline stations and a rice magnate from Pavia.She is a widow surrounded by maids and helpers.
At first she said she was not affected because her walls were secure and strong.In a split second kuno, the walls
fell, the water reached the roof of her single story house,
everything gone. Tapos na baha, gina strain pa kuno niya ang lay-on and mud looking for her alahas worth millions.
all gone .All she can do is cry,esp. that her bodega full of rice wala mapuslan. In short, ginkuha gid ang tanan niya nga material things.Many says gina gaba an siya kay "usurer" man kuno.

* A well known figure in Iloilo City, xxx,owner of xxx, lost 8 cars in their
garage,aside from their destroyed house and things. Many were commenting.... sobra na ina ang 8 cars....kon sa pagkaon gluttony na.

* Carlos Gellekanao, a retired aprominent person also,had been on top of their roof overnight,was not
rescued, gin heart attack.

[NOTE FROM 'KATHY', sent Friday February 20, 2009 2:03 pm (see Comments 3 & 4 below): "He is my father and is very well. Wala gin heart attack as you have described. Yes, he was a victim of typhoon frank having climb to the roof for safety but he did not have a heart attack. Please correct your statement though it is almost a year."]

* Stories have been circulating that a maleta full of jewelries were lost in the flood.The owner kuno was
a Saudi national who was here to sell it to a jewelry store.
Buenas lang to ang nakakita.

* The son of Lope Doromal ,our classmate and president was walking in Balabago on the way to their farm when suddenly the flood taller than him overcame him,he swam
to an unfinished construction and stayed there overnight until he was rescued.

I have a cousin ,a midwife who newly retired from Germany and have just came home, she said she was just resting for the meantime and biding her time to go to the bank to deposit ang dala ya nga kwarta, all in US dollars,
her retirement money. she won't tell the amount basta several thousands gid kuno, all gone, including her passports and everything.Nag overnight pa siya sa top of the roof, wasak ang aparador where she kept her valuables,
her house, the walls and gates.Baw daw buang siya subong

Daw "bombo reporter" na ako, ano? ha ha.

Just see for yourself sa
you tube,typhoon frank iloilo city
search web bala sa internet.

Love,
MIL

In the wake of Typhoon Frank: Letter from Iloilo

I am circulating as is, with her permission, a letter to my sister from Mila Damasco Aujero, a resident of Iloilo, together with the original Ilonggo it contains. I believe that, with a little work on any Filipino's part, the general sense of it can be understood. Not translating other Filipino languages into Tagalog is also a way of evolving Pilipino as a national language. Do write me if you feel I'm wrong.

God bless all!
Mila D. Aguilar

---

2008/7/10, to Delia D. Aguilar:

Dear Del,

Yes !" I cannot agwants the penetents of the kalibuts" expression is really true to the Ilonggos at this time after the calamity. Grabe gid ang pangabuhi namon diri......
since gasoline prices went up, it made a domino effect on everything...from jeepney fares to basic goods.Double gid ang mga prices ,maskin vegetables very scarce, rice also..
...ambot I just cannot describe ,wala pa ko ka experience sini since childhood where you can see everybody suffer,rich and poor....so many stories of survivors sa baha

...may nagatulala under psychiatric care(remember our classmate Elizabeth Pinosa,was-ag gid balay nila,everything gone,nagatulala na lang,incoherent,greatly affected gid....)
may ara nga nagalangot pa buot nila sa mga alahas nila nga wala na,the Jesenas wasak man balay nila and lost everything,subong nagatulala man.......Marilyn Ledesma
also na hospital gid kay non-stop ang hibi ya,naga hysterical pa. Haay damo naga buluang.......

.....may kaladlawan man nga stories like my co teacher at West, until the rooftop na ang baha sa balay nila,so the family has to swim to higher grounds ,sobra nga current sang water pagtakas ya wala na gali sya pants including panties naga "bomba" na sya she didn't notice .....Survival
lang ang sa ulo ya kuno.But now she can laugh telling us.

Damo patay more than a hundred.Many many cars nawasak
indi na mapuslan.Some brand new pa.

......may mga grim stories man,like the cashier of Iloilo Supermart, nagabaha na gin balik ya pa ang money ya sa kaha, na trap sya sang current,patay gid.
* may 2nd year HRM student lady nga tanan niya nga co-boarders ato na sa atop sang balay wala sya ka hingagaw
patay gid sya.
* may 22 years old guy nga patay inspite nga kabakod sang lawas ya.Balikbayan pa,bag o lang nag abot from the states.Daw maano ang family.
The water was 10 to 13 ft. high very strong pa ang current
ano abi agwanta mo?maskin good swimmer ka pa.

------So many are wondering what the meaning of all these.
They say perhaps the Illonggos are too comfortable and
complacent with their lives that they need reminders.
Patilawon man kuno mga Ilonggos.

It's a good thing wala kami iya casualty diri sa amon.Ang baha di up to the bust only.May 2nd story balay namon,ti wala kami iya ka swim like the others.However,at this time ubos gid wasak mga gamit,got no more ref,washing machine,two sala sets,gas range, halos everything.

.For 2 weeks no electricity.Up to now no water.Very expensive pa magbakal tubig,it's a precious thing at this
time .We learn to bathe sa isa ka balde lang.

Del, agwanta gid mo! The city gov't. has this slogan...
"Bangon,Iloilo.".....

Hope you have enough time to read this long letter.

Love,
MIL