Guinsaugon 4 years after tragedy: Life slowly moving
The second cross used to stand here was swept by floodwaters last January. Photo Jani Arnaiz
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:33:00 02/17/2010
Filed Under: Landslide
MAASIN CITY—THERE IS barely anything left to remind anyone that where now grow bushes and trees, there used to be a village called Guinsaugon in the town of St. Bernard, Southern Leyte.
So little and so much have changed four years since an entire side of Mt. Kan-abag collapsed following a night of rains, turning a thriving agricultural community into a burial ground of mud and boulders.
At least 1,000 villagers were dead on Feb. 17, 2006 and many more were presumed to be dead under the debris. Many bodies were no longer found.
The scars of the tragedy are no longer recognizable. Bushes and trees have grown where streets, homes and people used to be. Foliage has covered the crack in Mt. Kan-abag that used to illustrate how much mud and boulders fell on Guinsaugon.
Officials have declared the area no-man’s land, but jutting out of the indescribable patch of earth that the village has become are roofs, said to be of houses that farmers built in the hope that, while death has descended on their community, their rice fields may have been spared.
In the middle of the place also now stands a chapel, which serves as another reminder of how a tragedy like the one that Nature unleashed on Guinsaugon only Nature could stop.
It seemed Nature also removed two crosses that were erected along the meandering Lawigan river as symbols of the incalculable grief of the survivors.
One cross was put there shortly after the tragedy but it was swept away by floodwaters that made the river overflow. A second cross was erected in place of the first, but it, too, was swept away by knee-deep floodwaters just last January.
Signs of a people wanting to move on have appeared. A footbridge was built by the provincial government so people could cross the Lawigan river to reach their farms. Jani Arnaiz, Inquirer Visayas
GODBLESS the people of guinsaugon. in this lenten season, lets unite, pray, enlighten our minds, fast, abstain from sin, and this coming election may 2010 pohon pohon, please THINK that our beloved province SOUTHERN LEYTE is not for SALE, and i repeat NOT FOR SALE, LETS JOIN HANDS TOGETHER AND VOTE FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE FOR THE ENTIRE PARTY OF MANO ODONG SALUDO, DUNDEET, MANA ROSETTE TO VICTORY POHON. be brave enough to vote for them, remember my kababayans ANG ATONG MAHAL NA PROBINSIYA IS NOT FOR SALE. MABUHAY ANG SO. LEYTE. MY best regards to the reporter online. before i forget, LET ME TELL THIS TO THE INCUMBENT OFFICIALS OF SOUTHERN LEYTE , YOU ARE JUST CARETAKERS OF OUR PROVINCE, AND I REPEAT JUST CARETAKERS OF SOUTHERN LEYTE. THE PEOPLE OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, KITANG MGA MGA KATAWHAN ANG TAG IJA.
marcos, way to go. definitely, soythern leyte is not for sale. and it does belong to the mercados too. sa tanan nga mga maasinhon atong botohan si ate dundeet. she is the answer to the prayers we have been asking the lord. she will lead so leyte back to its feet again.
@marco santos /chismori/marcos
ok ra tung orig .name nimo. di ba .swabe e basa kong small letters.
basa na ko sa imong post. it doest hurt my eyes anymore.
salamat bay
bought buying…depends how everyone of us defines it. in my part, you took the money and vote to that politician who has handed you the money. how about, if you just took the money upon knowing that the amount you received comes from the tax payers coffers (gikan sa tikasan nga politicians) even then dili ka mo vote nianang tawhana. i will not consider it a vote buying. ang pobre just took advantage of the situation. kon unsa imo gitanum mao sad imo anihon, di ba? in this case, maleksyon ang mga tikasang mga politicians nga walay respito sa mga tawo nga nagtuo mapalit nila ang prinsipyo nga ila gibarugan(boomerang nila). sakit nila ug dili modaug. sajop but at least walay nawala sa ming dawat: next time basin wala nay mamalit. my advice to those people whom i asked to vote sa ako kandiato nga gi supportahan; dawata ninjo ang kuarta. ang kanditato nga manukmat wala jud utok kay mailhan na nuon corrupt cj ug walay ulaw. daug na ang manok naho sa amo lugar no?
im way behind
since ” WINGIG ” man kaajo nang atong probensya
under the MERCADO leadership .we have to find / try
something different. so e vote out na na sila.
no question about it.
so the choice is really between the leriases and saludo and the rodens.
since the leriases saludo group is traditional politicians, we should try the RODENS. if the rodens does not performed as expected di e vote out
nato napod nato next elections.fair enough.
if the mercado will be again. looy jud mo taga southern leyte.
so be a wise voters this time.
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