MACO, Davao de Oro (MindaNews / 2 July)—Five months after the Masara landslide, survivors temporarily housed in evacuation centers reported “manageable yet challenging” health situations.
Rose Herda and Marivel Yape, officers of the tent cities designated as Kampo Uno and Kampo Dos, respectively, reported on Monday that hypertension, cough, and fever are the leading illnesses among the evacuees over the past months due to the heat during the long dry spell brought about by the El Niño phenomenon, then followed by the sudden rains.
Herda reported the death of Milagro Magno, former campsite secretary in Kampo Uno, last May supposedly because of cardiac arrest. But she said that Magno already complained of body pains due to the heat during one of the hottest summers in the country.
In Kampo Dos, Yape recalled instances of health emergencies in the site due to hypertension.
“Last week and the weeks before, there were people who suffered from high blood pressure,” she said in the vernacular.
To her, the hypertension must have been caused by the heat inside their nylon and polyester tents that absorb heat from the outside and trap heat inside.
Yape said common among children are cough and fever.
She further noted that each evacuation site has one nurse and one barangay health worker to coordinate with the Maco local government unit (LGU) in providing essential and emergency health services.
On the other hand, despite the presence of clean water storage facilities sponsored by the LGU, Herda noted that maintaining a constant supply of clean water in Kampo Uno remains challenging during the start of the rainy season.
As the acting sanitary inspector of Kampo Uno, Herda noted that there are no cases of water-borne diseases in the area. She credits this to regular garbage collection and cleaning sessions spearheaded by residents themselves.
“We always ensure to throw away stagnant water to avoid mosquitos. We also did not experience any water-borne diseases because we make sure that our surroundings are clean,” she said.
Each evacuation camp features common bathrooms, a community kitchen and pantry, electric and water supplies, along with tents for each family.
Kampo Uno in Barangay Elizalde hosts 71 families, while Kampo Dos in Barangay Malamodao houses 64.
As far as nutrition is concerned, Yape expressed concerns regarding their food supply, which she said consists mainly of canned goods and other preserved food which, although helpful to appease hunger, are not enough to give them a healthy diet.
Some evacuees took matters into their own hands by planting vegetables such as green onions, alugbati, chinese pechay, and eggplant in mini vegetable gardens beside their tents.
But these efforts are apparently still not enough to fully address the evacuees’ nutrition needs. During a visit on Monday, MindaNews observed signs of inadequate nutrition among children in Kampo Dos, noting their scrawny builds.
The food supply problem has compounded as the LGU of Maco ceased providing for the camps’ necessities due to depletion of budget during the first quarter of 2024, Yape said. But she noted that the LGU continues to pay for the camp’s utility bills.
Despite these constraints, Yape noted frequent support from other sponsors—the provincial government, the Philippine Red Cross, APEX Mining Corporation, and other organizations.
The devastating Masara landslide last February left many families with little to no source of income, forcing them to depend heavily on donations. These donations, although appreciated by the residents, have proven insufficient in providing their nutritional needs and sustenance.
Most of the residents work outside the camp but find the commute to and from the camp expensive. To generate extra income, a few evacuees set up makeshift sari-sari stores inside their tents. (Alyssa Ilaguison and Kylene Faith Andales / UPMin interns)