The evacuees are temporarily sheltered at Buhay evacuation site and Barangay Inug-ug here while the others are in Barangay Inug-ug, Pagalungan area.

Wilma Batua, an evacuee, called for immediate assistance from the local government units of Pikit and Pagalungan, especially rice, medicines and tarpaulin.

“Kinahanglan namo pagkaon ug trapal aron naa mi maayong matulugan kung magabi-I,” (We need food and tarpaulin so that we could sleep during night time,” Batua said.

Fr. Roberto Layson, OMI, former parish priest of the Immaculate Conception parish in Pikit and the head of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate’s Inter-Religious Dialogue, has  distributed three kilos of rice per family at the Buhay evacuation site.

The priest has called the attention of the Municipal Social Welfare and development offices of Pikit and Pagalungan to also extend rice assistance and medicines to the ailing children and the elderly.

Pikit Mayor Sumulong Sultan immediately sent Ms. Grace Cadungog of the MSWD to check the situation of the evacuees.

“Actually the evacuees are not residents of Pikit. But it is our moral obligation to help them in as much we can,” Sultan said. (Williamor A. Magbanua/MindaNews)