Cross-enrollees bring pain with them

A building in the campus of the University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College is barely standing after Supertyphoon “Yolanda” struck Palo town in Leyte. RUBEN GAMALA/CONTRIBUTOR

When Joemar Ilagan Jr. came to the metropolitan city of Cebu more than three months ago, the first things he did were to take a luxurious bath, drink cold water, watch television and eat in fast-food outlets.

“It was a quite a shock for us after having no electricity, water and cold drinks for many days,” the 18-year-old said.

Ilagan, 18, is among 190 students of the University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College (UPVTC) campus who were allowed to cross-enroll at UP Cebu after Supertyphoon “Yolanda” struck Leyte and neighboring provinces on Nov. 8.

Students of UPV join teachers from areas devastated by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” and Inquirer correspondents in the Visayas at an Inquirer Reading for Healing workshop held at UP Cebu. NESTOR P. BURGOS

Four students and a staff member from UPVTC died during the storm, and the campus severely damaged. The national government has placed the death toll at over 6,000 and those missing at over 2,000.

Classes resumed only on Jan. 13 but the school could just accommodate 700 students.

UP units

The rest of the 508 students are enrolled in other UP units—250 in Diliman in Quezon City, 190 in Cebu City, 52 in Iloilo City, 7 in Miag-ao in Iloilo province, 6 in Manila, 2 in Los Baños in Laguna province and 1 in Baguio City, according to Ruben Gamala, director of UPV’s Office of Student Affairs.

Ilagan has barely adjusted to student life in Cebu City. He longs to go home in Tacloban City in Leyte even though it has just started to pick up the pieces from the massive devastation left by Yolanda.

“I get homesick and I constantly think of my family there,” he said.

Ilagan’s house was damaged. His father suffered a stroke due to the stress after the storm, leaving the right side of his body paralyzed. His elder brother had stopped reviewing for the nursing licensure board examination.

The other cross-enrollees are also coping with the sudden change in environment in Cebu City.

Language gap

“It’s difficult to communicate because of the language so we tend to mingle among fellow Tacloban students,” said Martin Caones, 18, a sophomore psychology student. He is staying with a sister who works in Cebu City.

Caones arrived in Cebu with his mother on board a C-130 cargo plane five days after Yolanda. The storm ripped the roof of their house, and they saved themselves by staying for two hours on the roof of a neighbor’s house.

While he may be far from Tacloban, Ilagan could not forget the sight of many human bodies lying on the streets of the city. Many of the migrant students are still coping with the loss of friends and loved ones. One of them, Levie Marilao, said he was already in Cebu when he learned that a fellow psychology student was among the thousands of fatalities.

Annie Manzano, UP Cebu guidance counselor, said the Tacloban students had been given stress debriefings. “Some have recurring nightmares. Others are afraid whenever it rains,” she said.

Guilty feelings

Recovery could take six months to three years, depending on the experiences and coping capacity of the students. Those who have lost loved ones are among the most deeply affected and need support.

“They have guilty feelings especially those who failed to save a family member from dying,” Manzano said.

Among the difficult cases was a student whose sibling had not been found.

“There is still no closure for them and the student is still hoping that the missing loved one will be found,” the counselor said.

Manzano said continued community support, especially from UP Cebu, had helped the students.

The cross-enrollees are entitled to free lunch (worth P50) at the school canteen during weekdays. The food expenses were shouldered by the administration and, later, by a private company. Some hotels have been treating the students to dinner.

Another firm donated prefabricated materials for a dormitory to house 27 students.

Cebuano-speaking students and those from Tacloban who know Waray-waray have been teaching each other their languages, according to Manzano.

Fund-raising

Another counselor, Annabelle Maglasang, said campus organizations had been holding activities to raise funds to help the students in UPVTC.

“Cebuanos have been very kind and helpful to us,” said Kimberly Leala, 18, whose family has temporarily relocated to Cebu.

While they have been grateful for their stay and continued education in Cebu, the students said they wanted to return to Tacloban next school year. “We started in UPV Tacloban and it doesn’t feel right that we graduate in another campus,” Ilagan said.

Keith Acedillo, who hails from Palo, another storm-stricken town in Leyte, said he was constantly concerned with the situation of his family back home. “After the supertyphoon, the main problems are safety and security,” he said.

The students said that while they were longing for the familiarity of their hometowns, they would be going home forever changed.

“Our experience has changed my views on all things. I now realized that everything could be gone in a snap,” Acedillo said.

Now, Ilagan said, he was careful to budget the money given to him by his parents.

“Cherish every moment of your life. I think that’s one message of Yolanda,” Leala said.