4 days after ‘Odette,’ Tagbilaran streets still in chaos

Long line at a remittance center in Tagbilaran, Bohol on Dec. 21. (Leo Udtohan, Inquirer Visayas)

TAGBILARAN CITY––Four days after Typhoon “Odette” devastated the island province of Bohol, all major streets in Tagbilaran looked like a super traffic gridlock.

Residents rushed to grocery stores to buy bottled water and grocery items, but there was a limited supply. One mall had run out of the now-precious commodity.

“Pareho ra gyud. Naglisud og tubig, pagkaon, diin-diin pangita ang mga tawo,” he shared. (It’s all the same. Water and food are scarce. People are looking for water and food everywhere)

People also lined up Tuesday to withdraw money from automated teller machines (ATMs) and money remittance centers that were emptied of cash.

Maridel Bacaresa, 27, said she was able to withdraw money at 1 a.m. Tuesday from a bank after a friend told her that an ATM was loaded with cash.

Motorists continued to crowd gasoline stations, some of which were closed because there was no supply since Sunday.

Joseph Lagare, 34, said it took him four hours to wait for his turn to fuel his motorcycle. He said he found one open gasoline station at J. A. Clarin Street in Tagbilaran.

“Sige ko libut-libot pangitag gasolina, hutdan sagaran man” (I was going around looking for gasoline but most [gas stations] have ran out of supply,” he told the Inquirer.

“Mura jud siya pareha nahitabo sa linog,” said Lagare. (The aftermath of Odette looked like what happened to Bohol after the 2013 earthquake)

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