IGO helping Cordillera typhoon victims

TRAILS UP NORTH
Glo Abaeo Tuazon

Igorot Global Organization chapters abroad found the heart to help relatives and friends in the Cordillera Region who were part of the roster of victims during the onslaught of Typhoon Pepeng.

In Vienna, Austria the Igorot Organization recently held a Grand Canao to showcase their culture and tradition, with the revelry and celebration though is the fund raising project to help the brothers in need in their Cordillera homeland.

President Cristabel Bounggick has much thanks to say to her constituents in Austria who all had shared their blessings. The help came in kind, in cash and much prayers. These aides were then taken back to the homeland by Dra. Caridad Fiar-od, the Liason Officer for International Affairs in the Mt. Province who was at that time invited as the guest speaker for the affair. Dra. Fiar-od is the direct representative of Gov. Maximo B. Dalog who with warmest greetings to the Austrian igorots expressed his deepest gratitude for the help extended.

Other aides also arrived from BIMAK-DC (through Nardo Della), and other igorot organizations and communities in the United States, as also from Canada and the other countries. The cash donations were well appropriated to programs and apportioned to individuals and families in dire need from the calamity areas in Benguet and the Mountain province. Part of the funds will go to the IGO Financial Assistance Employment Program for the typhoon victims. With much deliberation P155, 399.75 is apportioned for Benguet and P126, 587.50 will be given as share to Kayan, Tadian, Mt. Province.
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Some of the isolated municipal roads in Benguet were not given much attention after the onslaught of typhoon Pepeng. That is according to Mayor Roberto K. Canuto of Kapangan. The reason though he explained is because of the fact that the municipality was cut off from the rest of the province when their main access route which is the bridge located along Suyoc in Tublay fell off, leaving a very big and wide gap along the road.

With the road cut, there was no way for heavy equipments to cross over to clear up the numerous road slides in Kapangan. The diversion road in Tuel, Tublay was not much of a reprieve also as it is mostly a very steep incline and can only accommodate one vehicle going one way. Another big hazard was the falling off of another bridge along Brgy. Balakbak.

With these conditions it was a very hard time for the denizens of Kapangan (also of Kibungan) as they were literally cut off from food supplies, gas and all. The fact that the electricity was also only restored after 20 days made everything more difficult than it was. With everything in disarray, they even forgot to contact the media for help as their primary concern was the restoration of roads and access routes. Gov. Nestor Fongwan of Benguet had to airlift the necessary food and other supplies to Kapangan as it was the only way.

Mayor Canuto has his townsfolk to thank though, along with his constituents that in the height of all the calamity and suffering in their area, the people were very understanding and caring. It brought out the good in most people. What may seem undoable to most, the Kapangan people did by manually opening all the slides going to and from their municipality. The menfolk volunteered to donate each a time to help dig out their covered roads to enable everybody access. Foods were in turn given as relief to the municipality, something they used to feed the volunteer workers.

The many slides also damaged numerous houses and properties and to this day some are still dealing with problems of property rehab and personal traumas. “We were pushed backwards a few paces instead of progressing. We were supposed to be creating, now we are instead repairing.” Canuto said. “But Kapangan will rise again with the cooperation of the people and the officials.” To all who helped, Mayor Canuto and his townsfolk wanted to extend their utmost gratitude. -- Email: twilight_glo@yahoo.com