Negros folk cope in quake’s wake

Jimalalud, Negros Oriental — More than a week has passed since the 6.9-magnitude earthquake but town folk still tremble in fear each time the ground rumbles with an aftershock.

Obdolia Eslao, a resident of Tayasan town, said the earthquake destroyed their nipa hut so her family stays in a tent in the poblacion.

So far they’ve received only two kilos of rice and eight cans of sardines.

Eslao and 61-year-old Leonoro Manolo of barangay Poblacion, Jimalalud town, waited for medicines to be distributed by visiting Cebu Capitol officials at the town plaza.

Manolo said their tents were soaked from rains that fell since last week.

Her grandson had a fever and she wanted to collect free medicines.

Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia visited the towns of Vallehermoso, La Libertad, Jimalalud, Bindoy, Ayungon, Tayasan and Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental.

Guihulngan and the towns of La Libertad and Jimalalud were among the hardest hit by the Feb. 6 earthquake.

Negros Oriental Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichiong appealed to Negrenses not to take advantage of each other during their crisis.

She advised donors to course their donations to the municipal government or the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

About P12.5 million in cash aid and P4.7 million in relief goods were turned over to the six towns and one city of Negros Oriental.

Mayor Edsel Enardecido of Ayungon town, who received about P1 million from the Cebu Capitol, said he would use the money to buy P600,000 worth of rice. Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus